Cave Painting
by The What-If Writer
Summary: "And we won't forget about you." Words spoken from a very long time ago. Peaches wanders into a new part of the island and runs into a small figure who Manny, Sid and Diego may find very familiar...
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Cave Paintings

"Where's the baby?"

The infant sat before his father burst into happy chortles, mimicking the elder by covering his eyes with his chubby hands, waiting jubilantly for the game to continue.

"There he is!"

He uncovered his eyes immediately and giggled, reached out for his parent. The adult human scooped him and in his arms and gently held him up to the sky, causing the baby to laugh even more.

"Really, Roshan, you're over-exiting him."

Roshan turned to see his wife, Nida, wandering over to them. The scolding had apparently been humorous for she didn't seem angry. With a smile he held the baby out for her to take. She cradled him lovingly in her arms, watching as he sucked his tiny thumb.

"I bet you looked like that once..." She said quietly. Roshan's smile faded a little.

He _had_ looked like that once. A very long time ago... Albeit a lot louder.

_"Please make it stop! I can't take it anymore!"_

_"You're holding it wrong!"_

_"Watch his head!"_

_"Just put him down!"_

_"Jeez, pick 'im up, put 'im down, ninininininin..."_

He shook them memory away. He wasn't even sure know if it _was_ a memory anymore...

"Roshan, are you coming to the tent? it's getting dark!" His wife called from inside their tent. She was probably putting their baby to bed now as the sun was setting, tuning the sky a light shade of pink and purple.

With a sigh he headed back to the cave.

* * *

The morning silence was broken by a teenager's aggravated groan.

"Seriously, Dad!"

"Peaches, I know you're older now, and you're growing up, but you're still not old enough to go all the way over to the caves. No one knows what's in there!"

Ever since arriving to their new island home, the animals had found peace and shelter from the ever-changing environment. Nothing dangerous seemed to inhabit the place.

Still, Manfred the Mammoth was always slightly paranoid about his daughter's whereabouts, though less so since the pirate fiasco where she had proved that she could handle things a bit more than he expected. The other teenagers had discovered some caves quite far away from where most of the animals lived- a bit too far in Manny's mind.

But Peaches still persisted.

"C'mon Dad, it's only to look around! And if I see anything wierd I'll come back and tell you and Mom, 'kay?"

"But-"

"Come on, Manny."

Ellie appeared beside him, smiling happily. "You saw for yourself that our daughter can take care of herself, and plus, Louis will be there."

"Oh joy."

"Dad!"

"Okay, okay, you can go and look around, but If you see anything"

"Yes Dad, I promise! see ya!"

Manny and Ellie watched as Peaches hurried off through the trees. Her father sighed.

"My daughter's all grown up."

"Oh Manny," Ellie said with a shake of her head "She'll always be your little girl. And don't worry! She can handle herself."

At that exact moment, Crash and Eddie swooped from a vine out of nowhere, promptly colliding with Manny's tusk.

"Y-yeah." Crash choked as he slid off the hard tusk and onto the dirt floor.

"She's p-art possum. Oh my neck!" added Eddie, flopping on the ground beside him.

* * *

The baby loved to practice walking.

He toddled through the camp, smelling the smell of burnt wood from the burney-red stuff, climbed over the baskets and made his way over to the dogs.

He petted one of them on the head and laughed when it licked his hand.

Then, he decided to go even farther. He waddled away from camp, towards the big hard tent-place where his father sometimes took him, were the little animals were stuck on the sides.

He waddled into the big, round rocky place, gurgling at all the animals he recognised.

He went on for a while, looking at the big doggies on the walls, and the big cats with long teeth.

He looked up at the pictures on the ceilings, babbling:  
"Bah-bah-bah!"

He toddled on, completely unaware that his camp were waking up to find he'd gone.

"Whoa..."

Peaches gazed around the cave in awe and amazement. "Louis, you've got to see this!"

The molehog popped out of the ground beside her. "What is it- Wooooow..."

Decorated the smooth walls were cave-paintings.

Her Dad had talked about them once a long time ago, explaining how humans seemed to like to remember certain events by drawing them on the walls. Louis began walking along the wall, running a paw over the paintings.

"Look, I see some antelope! Oh, and some tigers! Ouch, that looks like it hurts..."

Peaches looked over the pictures in hopes of perhaps finding a mammoth. No such luck.

She only saw a bunch of humans wielding spears. She nearly shuddered at the thought. Her Dad had a very bad experience with humans a long time ago, something he really didn't like to talk about.

Peaches and Louis continued on through the cave. As they went the pictures changed, becoming brighter and more noticeable And...what was the word, less smudged?

Just as she thought that, Louis spoke out "Hey, do you think these kinda look...new?"

New. That meant...

"Bah-bah-bah!"

* * *

Second Ice age Story's up! Reviews are always appreciated.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Caves and Berries.

They both jumped, turned, and spotted something toddling happily from the tunnel opposite them; A little biped smaller that Louis, shaped a lot like the humans drawn on the walls.

Only smaller and more chubby-looking.

It raised its little paws and giggled.

Louis jumped back and yelped, burying himself under the earth. "HUMAN!"

Peaches stared wide-eyed at the tiny creature. It was a human, wasn't it? Then why was it so...?

The human was waddling around in circles, babbling nonsense. She rose a brow. Wait a second!

"Is that a baby?" she asked aloud. Louis popped his head out of the ground.

"What?"

"It's a baby!"

"Y-you think?"

"Aga!"

The baby was now toddling over to the molehog, reached out for him happily.

"Um, no,no, You don't do that!"

"Aw...he likes you! That is so _cute_!" Peaches cooed jokingly as the baby wrapped his small arms around the molehog, squeezing the breath out of him.

"Ye-yeah...can't...breathe..."

Peaches reached her trunk over to the two and gently pulled the baby away from her friend. She did it nervously, hoping not to hurt him (if it was a him)

The baby didn't seemed bothered though. In fact, as soon as her trunk wrapped around him he clasped it tightly, cuddling it happily.

"H-hey, c'mon, let go now..." Peaches shook him gently, but he did not release his hold.

"He likes to cling, doesn't he. How am I gonna get him to let go without him grabbing me again?"

"Er...I think we should concentrate on how he got here." A sudden thought came to Peaches "What if his herd's not to far behind? they won't be cute and cuddly like him if they see a mammoth holding him..."

"Maybe we should just...I dunno, nudge him back the other way? He can toddle back to his herd and we'll leave?"

Peaches considered it. It seemed plausible that the baby's herd wasn't too far behind, and he couldn't have gone so far by himself, but could they just leave him to go back himself? What if he got hurt?

_Whoa. I'm beginning to sound like Dad..._

Then, an idea came to her.

"Maybe we could walk along with him and send him off when we see an opening!"

Louis looked doubtfully down the tunnel. "Um...are you sure?"

"Yeah I'm sure! And besides, I've got you to protect me like last time!" She_ knew _that would get him. Louis straightened up a little.

"Yeah...I guess I did. Alright, let's go then."

"Okay. C'mon Shorty." She held up the baby a little higher so he could see her properly "We're going to get you home!"

The baby tilted his head a cooed. Obviously he had no idea what she was saying, but her enthusiastic tone reminded him of his mother when they were about to do something fun- Like traveling or going to play with the doggies in the camp.

The mammoth, baby and molehog continued down the cave. Peaches looked around.

_Well this doesn't seem so bad. We'll just let Shorty here walk back out the other side of the cave- there should be one near, he couldn't have walked all this way- and we'll go home. Wonder what Dad'll say..._

"Peaches!"

She snapped out of her thought when Louis called her from somewhere ahead.

"What is it?"

"Um, you may want to take a look at this..."

Peaches stepped forward, looking up- and froze.

"Oh, that's just perfect!"

* * *

Roshan was awakened by his wife, who was shaking him roughly. He mumbled sleepily.

"Roshan! Roshan wake up!"

The distressed tone in her voice made him snap out of his tired state. "What's wrong?"

"The Baby! he's gone!"

Roshan froze, her words echoing in his mind. "Wha...what?" He turned his head over to the small bundle of cloth that served as his son's bed, only to find the infant was missing.

The parents wasted no time in scrambling out of the tent. It was still early- no one would've seen him if he'd wandered off.

Roshan awakened his tribe as his wife called frantically for their son. Soon everyone was searched for a trace of the baby- to no avail.

Nida was near hysterics. Roshan held her tight as one of them men retried the baby's blanket and held it out for one of the hounds to detect it's sent.

"We'll find him, Nida. I promise. We'll find him..."

* * *

Manny was getting nervous now. It had been almost an hour since Peaches left and they'd heard nothing. Ellie, noticing her husband's worried expression, curled her trunk around his.

"Don't worry, Manny. She's probably just exploring. She'll be fine."

"I know, Ellie- but I just don't know what's in there. Maybe I should go and check..."

"Hey Manny, what's going on?!"

Sid the sloth came striding over, holding a huge amount of berries in his arms, all of which where red.

Manny, momentarily distracted from his worries, said "Whoa, wait a minute, Sid!"

Sid was just about to eat one of the berries when Manny interrupted him.

"Those aren't the ones Diego said would paralyse you, are they?"

"Whaaat? no way, I know my berries, Manny. Besides, Crash and Eddie helped me pick 'um!"

Manny frowned. "Really? I don't think you should trust anything-"

GULP.

THUNK.

"...They give you." Manny sighed. Crash and Eddie's moronic cackling could be heard from the trees above. Sid was laying on the ground, paralysed, resembling a very squishy jelly-fish.

"Crash, Eddie, Did you do that on purpose?" Ellie called up to her possum brothers.

"Us? trick Sid into eating paralysing berries? no way!" This statement was followed by another round of hysterical laughter.

As Ellie angrily told her brothers off, Manny turned his gaze back to the path Peaches left on, his worries returning.

* * *

Second chapter's up because I love putting second chapters up.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Cave Exploring and Water Slides.

Peaches looked on in slight worry at their predicament. The plan had been simple- Find the other side of the cave, let Shorty toddle out back to his camp. Simple.

But it wasn't so simple, for the cave split into three different tunnels- and the baby had wandered in from one of them.

"Which way do we go?" Louis asked worriedly, twiddling his paws together.

"Maybe...um..."

"Agoo!" Peaches couldn't help but smile as the baby gurgled happily, reached out for her hair. Still clasped in her curled trunk, Shorty didn't seem at all bothered about where he was.

_I wish I could be as carefree as you._

"Maybe we could go down one and see where it leads?" She suggested a little more confidently than she felt.

"What if it's the wrong way?"

"Then we'll come back and try again. It's not too bad, it'll just take a bit longer than we thought." The teen mammoth replied.

"Okay...which one should we try first, then?"

Peaches surveyed the three tunnels. "Hmm...Let's try...This way!" She began moving down the right tunnel. Louis followed her nervously.

As they went, Peaches saw the baby was covering his eyes.

"Aw, don't be afraid, Shorty. You'll be back home soon!" she reassured him. Poor little guy...

But suddenly the baby moved his hands away from his eyes, laughing, then covered them again.

"Hey...I used to play that game when I was little!"

"Peek-a-boo?" Peaches thought about the last time she'd played the childish game. It had been with Sid when she was small.

"Hey, let me try." Louis tapped the baby's shoulder to get his attention. When Shorty looked over, he covered his eyes. Peaches watched as Shorty squealed with delight and clapped his hands. She laughed a little.

"Aww...that is so cute!"

"Peek-a-boo!" Louis said, uncovering his eyes. Shorty burst out laughing.

"Huh, he is kinda cute. Couldn't imagine him throwing, you know, spears at us..."

"Yeah..."

"Bah!" Shorty said happily, covering his eyes and uncovering the, this time turning his head towards Peaches.

"Peek-a-boo, to you too, Shorty."

As they continued on, they found a strange rumbling noise could be heard further on.

"What's that?" Peaches asked.

"I don't know...you don't think it's the wind, do you?"

"Wind!" Peaches gasped "That could mean there's an exit!"

The trio hurried on. the noise was getting louder... and it definitely didn't sound like wind.

"We're under a mountain, right?" Louis asked suddenly.

Peaches frowned a little. "A small mountain, I guess. Why?"

"'Cause...don't waterfalls come down from the-"

"Watch out!"

Peaches had noticed it just in time. Right in front of them was a steep ledge, hanging over a large underground river where a waterfall was cascading from the side.

"Whoa!" Louis wobbled on his foot, stumbling back just in time.

They stared around the large underground cavern for a moment, before Peaches said:

"O-kay. So we know he didn't come this way." She turned around as her molehog friend nodded nervously.

"Y-yeah, unless he's great at climbing. And swimming..." He leaned over the side, watching a small stone from the side of the ledge slip off the side and fall into the water below. He gulped nervously.

"Louis, hurry up! we need to get back to the other tunnels!"

"Coming!" Louis turned on his heel. A little too quickly.

CRACK.

A crack appeared in front of him. His eyes widened. "Uh-oh!"

Peaches turned around to face him, and was about to call out again when the ledge suddenly began to crumble.

"Louis!"

"Peaches!"

Without thinking, Peaches rushed towards him, forgetting that she held Shorty in her trunk.

Before she could reach the molehog the ledge crumbled completely, taking both him and the mammoth with it as it plummeted towards the fast-moving water.

Louis had just enough time to grab onto her tusk as they hit the water.

Peaches was terrified that they'd go under- but the water wasn't too deep. Despite this thought the fast current pulled them along, and they rushed down the steep tunnel as an amazing speed.

Peaches screamed. Louis screamed. Shorty raised his hands and laughed in delight.

They were on a rollercoaster ride of water terror. They sped down, left, right, until they were launched right into the air off another, smaller waterfall. They landed at the bottom with a shout, and immediately they were speeding along the water again. Louis almost vomited, but before he could he spotted something and yelled.

"WHOOOOAAAA!"

Peaches, out of the corner of her eye, saw Louis pointed fearfully at something ahead.

"OH NO!"

A giant boulder was sitting in the middle of the river. Quickly, Peaches leaned to the right and narrow missed colliding with the harsh stone.

_Whoa...this is actually kinda fun!_

"Woohooo!" she yelled, repeating the action as another boulder came into view. Shorty squealed happily, waving his arms about and laughing. Now the only one not enjoying himself was Louis, who was holding onto Peaches tusk for dear life.

"Wheeeeen iiiiiis thisssss going to eeeeeend?!"

"I don't know!" Peaches asked exitedly as they slid down a exceptionally steep slide "Whoohoo!"

"No, not whoohoo!" Louis yelled frantically, tightening his told even more.

Peaches laughed loudly at this. "C'mon, lighten up, Louis, it's fun! Don't be such-"

"Look out!" Once again Louis pointed ahead. Following his gaze, Peaches saw another drop-slide coming up.

"Oh yeah!"

"Oh no!"

"Aga!"

They braced themselves as they slid over the side. Peaches felt her heart jump as they slid down the waterslide _"Whoohoooooooooooo!"_

_SPLASH._

They landed at a small, still pool at the bottom. The river continued at the side through an opening too small for them to get through, at a much slower pace.

Peaches and Shorty sat in the water, laughing whilst their molehog companion trembled, practically fused to Peaches trunk in terror.

"We should _totally_ do that again!" Peaches laughed, throwing Shorty into the air and catching him in her trunk as he shrieked with an equal amount of laughter.

"No! please, no!" Louis said as she stood up, walking over to the shore. He hopped shakily onto the ground, collapsing. Peaches shook the water off her fur, still giggling from the excitement from before.

Shorty was clapping his hands quietly. Peaches smiled at him. "You agree with me, don't you, Shorty? she should do that, like, every day!"

"Count...me...out!" Louis gasped loudly from the ground.

* * *

"Were is she?"

Manny was beyond worried now. It had been two hours at least, and now even Ellie was begining to look agitated.

"Hm...maybe she lost track of time. And it's getting to lunch time now, and lunch time's family time." She said "Maybe we should go get her..."

"Oh, oh!" Crash and Eddie hopped down from a nearby tree, onto Ellie's tusk.

"We'll go look for her, won't we, Crash?"

"Sure, Eddie, we'll go get her!"

"Now wait just a moment. I can't even trust you to gather berries, nevermind find our Daughter." Manny said angrily, glancing at the still-paralysed sloth nearby.

"Ath ecthalanth pointh!"

"Be quite, Sid. Where's Diego?"

"He's off with his _girl-friend_!" Eddie laughed. Then, both him and his brother burst into hysterics.

"Aw, big bad tiger gone all sooooft!"

"Hahaaha!"

In their merriment the two possums failed to notice a shadow being cast over them in a threatening manner. A tiger- shaped shadow.

"He's such a big soft..."

Eddie turned around and came face-to-face with a very angry Diego "...ie..."

Seconds later the possum was flying through the air, colliding with his brother, and soon they were both were rolling down a slope towards a prickly bush.

"OW!"

"Ah, lovebirds, nice for you to joins us." Manny said in annoyance as Shira joined them at Diego's side "Where've you two been?"

"Hunting." The female saber replied with equal annoyance.

"_Romantic_ hunting!" Crash called, entangled somewhere in the bushes.

Diego coughed to get the attention away from the matter. "Um. Yeah, what's up, Manny?"

"Peaches has been gone for almost two hours now. I'm getting worried."

"Manny, are you sure you're not a little paranoid? She can handle herself." Diego replied with a brow raised.

Shira stepped forward. "C'mon, mammoth. Lighten up a little. A girl needs to learn how to be on her own sometimes."

"I know, I know." Manny sighed, "It's just I don't know what's in those caves..."

_"Caves!?" _The two sabers exchanged wide-eyed glances.

"What?" panic twisted in Manny's stomach. "What's wrong with the caves?!"

"Well...While we were out, we passed the caves. I had a look and...they're covered in drawings. Like the ones We saw a long time ago." Diego said slowly, as if not wishing to bring the matter up. Shira took up his silence to continue.

"We saw a group of human entering the caves just as we saw them."

"Humans? with spears?!"

" I don't know, maybe-"

"We've got to get over there, now!" Manny began hurrying down the path. Ellie began following him.

"I'm coming, too, Manny!"

"No, Ellie, stay here! It's too dangerous!"

"Too dangerous my trunk! Peaches is my daughter, too, and I'm GOING."

Before he could stop her, Ellie was marched past him along the path. "Well come on!"

"She's right, Manny." Diego said with a smile as he followed her. Shira joined him.

"Well I guess I'll come along too. This scurvy crew's in need of a little excitement after all."

Manny groaned and rolled his eyes. "Fine, you can all come. Crash, Eddie!"

The possums, who had somehow freed themselves from the bushes and were currently poking Sid's paralysed eyes with sticks, looking over.

"Keep and eye on Sid and _stay here_. I mean it!"

"Okie dokie, dude! laters! Take care of our sister, mister!"

"Blalarghlarghlargh..." Sid managed to babble as they left.

* * *

I had so much fun writing this chapter, dudes. Please tell me if you see any spelling/ grammar mistakes. Much appreciated if you review!


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Cave-ins and Acorns.

Roshan stood outside the cave, holding a leash tightly in one hand. His face was set in a worried frown as the dog attached to the lead sniffed around the entrance.

It was a labyrinth in there. Roshan's hold on the leash tightened until his knuckles turned white.

The dog began barking frantically at the entrance, pulling on the lead as he attempting to go in. Roshan took a death breath and gestured for the group of men behind him, some of them holding torches, to regroup with him.

The torches were there incase they would take till nightfall. The cave was naturally lit by sunlight coming in from cracks, but further in it would get darker as well.

Roshan and his men entered the cave apprehensively, brining other tracking dogs with them

Roshan wondered. Is this how his father had felt when he had vanished? All those years ago, when he had been a little younger than his own son?

_"Hey, that's his herd, right up the hill! we should return him!"_

He frowned, rubbing his forehead. Who had said those words, again? His father told him he'd been returned by...a mammoth. Mammoths did not speak.

Roshan sighed and shook the odd train of thought away. He had to concentrate on finding his son.

Somewhere in the caves, Louis, Shorty and Peaches stood facing another tunnel entrance near the underground lake.

"Well, I guess this is the only way we can go." The teen mammoth mused.

"Yeah. Let's just hope there's no more water slides." The molehog shuddered at the thought. The baby curled in Peaches' trunk gurgled in response the their conversation.

The three entered the cave, unaware of what was happening somewhere above...

* * *

Scratt slid along the what was left of the rocky ledge near the waterfall, intent on reaching a promising place on the other side where he could hide his precious acorn.

He spotted an old branch, probably washed in from the river outside the mountain, reaching out of the waterfall (maybe caught between on a rock)

He hopped onto the branch, holding on tight to his acorn, mumbling in a high-pitched tone as he glanced down below. gulping, the saber-tooth squirrel hopped along the branch and onto the other ledge, which was only a few centimeters long.

He smiled tightly at what he was looking for . A small crevice in the stone wall, just wide enough...

Scatt attempted to place his acorn in, but found the crevice to be a bit too narrow. Growing in frustration, to pushed hard, until the acorn was pressed into the crevice.

He thumped his paws on it a bit more, until it was completely sheltered inside. The saber-tooth squirrel nodded once and turned around to move away when-

CRACK

The crevice widened, spreading up the wall and over the ceiling above.

One of Scratt's large, bulging eyes twitched slightly.

Suddenly, the ground beneath him crumbled along with most of the ceiling and the walls. He plummeted down towards the water, leaving his precious acorn behind.

"AAAH-AH-AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGG!"

* * *

Peaches glanced up. "Did you hear something?"

Louis turned around and looked back out the tunnel entrance. He stood start sill. The walls around them began to tremble.

"Uh..."

Peaches looked over her shoulder to see a large amount of rubble tumbling down the waterfall, coming straight towards them.

"RUN, LOUIS!"

They sped as fast as they could down the shaking tunnel, and had just made it when the entrance behind them was completely closed up with rubble.

Something came flying from the rubble towards them, screaming in a high pitch voice.

It smacked right into Louis's terrified face.

"AAARGH! GET IT OFF!"

He through the small, grey bundle of fur off of himself. It rolled away, jumped up to reveal as squirrel-like creature that was currently waving its face in aggravation at him. It growled in annoyance at the confused molehog before disappearing around the corner of the cave.

Peaches stood, completely baffled, as Shorty clapped his hands in amusement.

"Okay. What just happened there?" Louis said, raising his paws in complete confusion. Peaches shook her head before replying.

"Er...I have no idea. But maybe it would be cool if we never say that little... squirrel thing for a while."

"Alright, this is the place."

Diego and Shira stood in front of a large cave entrance under the mountain. Manny frowned deeply upon seeing it.

"Our daughter's in there? What if she's lost?"

"Well, that's why we're here, Manny." Ellie said as she walked past "Let's go and find her, then!"

"Wait for me, Ellie!" Manny exclaimed, hurrying after his wife into the entrance. Diego and Shiro followed suit.

"I don't think it was a good idea to leave Sid with those two miscreants..." Diego said to himself as they walked. Shira chuckled teasingly.

"Aw, mister softy. He'll be alright."

"Pfft. I'm not worried about Sid." Diego said quickly, frowning at her "I'm worried about the herd's reputation."

"Sure, softy. Keep telling yourself that." She rubbed her head against his for a second before quickening her pace. "C'mon, then. Try not to get left behind!"

Meanwhile, lying like a dried up jelly-fish in the middle of the clearing by himself, Sid the sloth's barley moveable eyes glanced around nervously.

"Maaaaanthy? Diaaaaagoth? heeeeeeelpth!"

* * *

Poor Sid. The Possums left him all alone.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Cave Navigation and the Possum Boredom.

"We're completely lost!"

Peaches, Shorty and Louis had been wandering in and out of different tunnels since the cave in, which was being to seem like a long time ago. The caves down here lacked paintings, which gave Peaches the idea that not even humans had been down here- or at least, their settlement wasn't nearby.

The more they explored, the more they seemed to be getting lost. Shorty, who seemed to be getting fed up, began wailing loudly. He didn't want to stay here anymore. He liked his new friends, but he wanted to go home to his mother and father now, and eat something.

Louis was covering his ears, trying to block out the noise. "C'mon, please stop crying!"

Peaches bounced the baby up and down to entertain him. He giggled happily, but soon returned to wailing. "Nothing's working!" she moaned "Looking after kids is harder than I thought!"

"Maybe we should feed him something!" Louis suggested helpfully.

"Um, there's not really anything we can give him down here...oh wait!" Peaches stopped something rolling down a small, steep tunnel towards them.

It was an acorn.

Louis wandered over to it and scooped it up, examining it "You don't think humans can eat these, do you-"

"AAAARGH!"

An infuriated shriek interrupted him as once again a ball of grey fur slammed into the poor molehog. He screamed, shoving the creature off him that turned out to be (again) the saber-tooth squirrel from before.

"Hey, It's the physco squirrel!" Peaches said as said squirrel snatched up his acorn and growled at them. "Maybe he knows a way out of here!"

"What?" Louis said, rubbing his nose.

"Hey, acorn guy..." Peaches addressed the saber-squirrel "D you by any chance know how do get out of here?"

The creature scratched his head, making small, unintelligible squeaky sounds. Then, she shrugged and shook his head.

Beofre Peaches could say any more the saber-squirril darted down the tunnel and out of sight. She glared after him.

"Some help he was." Louis muttered, still rubbing his sore, battered nose. Shorty, who had been entertained by the small squirrel and thus had stopped crying for a moment, began wailing again.

Peaches groaned loudly.

"We're lost."

"We are not, Manny. We just got here."

"Maybe we should've taken that other tunnel."

Ellie sighed. Diego and Shira were up ahead, scouting incase any danger presented itself.

Manny shook his head "This is all my fault. I should've never let her come here!"

"Manny, I know you're worried so am I" Ellie said quietly beside him "We'll find her. You'll see."

Manny didn't reply. The whole concept of his child and wife being near humans made his stomach churn and his mind race with memories of a very long time ago.

The paintings around him didn't help. They brought more painful memories than good ones.

The only good one being with Pinky. He wondered, as he saw Diego waiting for them to catch up, is the saber was thinking about how the herd came together, a while before Peaches was born? When Diego was planning to bring them home for dinner but ultimately saved their lives?

Then, as he saw Diego gazing quietly up at the paintings unaware of Shira's curious glance, he decided that yes, he must be.

* * *

Crash and Eddie watched as the sunlight slowly drained from the sky. It was getting late, and their sister and the others had not returned.

Being the brainless, wreckless duo they were, Crash and Eddie were more annoyed about their fun-less evening than they were worried. It was in their nature to be careless until something REALLY Bad happened.

Manny, Peaches and the others were probably going to come home after seeing some cool caves, they decided, and Peaches would get a scolding and Manny would be grumpy for the rest of the evening.

"Dude, this is SOOOOO boring." Eddie muttered, crossing him arms.

"Yeah. I wanna go on an adventure, too. And Ellie's been gone for ages!"

"Hey, I got an Idea!"

"What?"

"We go find them!"

Crash tapped his chin, mimicking thoughtfulness (he couldn't ever be really thoughtful)

"I don't know...Manny said to stay here and keep an eye on Sid."

"Weeeeeeeeeeeeelll we could just say we forgot."

"What about Sid?"

The possums glanced at the still-paralysed sloth lying nearby.

Then, their gazes travelled over to a small, sloth-sized log. They looked at each other, both with insanely conniving grins plastered of their furry faces.

A few moments later, Sid was rolling down the path, stuffed in the log, with Crash and Eddie running backwards on top of it, laughing hysterically.

"MAAAAAAAAAANNNNNYYYYYYYYYYYY !"

* * *

Poor Sid.

I ask for reviews, because I like asking for reviews.

Please tell me if you stop any spelling mistakes!


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Cave Darkness and the Lord of the Flame

Night had clearly fallen, for no sunlight was creeping through cracks in the ceiling. Or, it could be they were getting so far under the mountain that no cracks were deep enough to let light in. The thought that they were getting deeper into the mountain scared Peaches a little, and was holding on tightly to a sleeping Shorty for comfort. She gazed down at the tiny, sleeping form nestled in her trunk.

_Poor little guy. We'll have to find him something to eat soon._

"It's getting real dark now. How are we gonna get out of here if we can't see?" Louis asked from his place on a rock. Peaches sat down, allowing her aching feet to rest.

"I don't know. Maybe we should try to get some rest and try to find our way back tomorrow." She said quietly.

A few more moments passed in silence.

"Louis?"

"Hm?"

"D'you think Dad would've come after us?"

"Well, knowing him...proabaly."

Peaches sighed. "He's gonna be s_o_ worried about me. I shouldn't have gone..."

Louis looked down at the ground silently. Then, after some consideration, he said:  
"Well..you got me here. That's not so bad..."

Peaches smiled tiredly. "Yeah. I'm glad your here, Louis. We should probably get some sleep."

"Oh...okay. Goodnight, Peaches."

"Goodnight Louis."

* * *

Roshan and his men were now tied to a rope, allowing them to stay together as they ventures into the darker caves.

Apparently there had been some sort of cave-in recently, blocking up the path to the river. Roshan was filled with terror at the thought of his son wandering anywhere near the rivers, for he definitely wouldn't have survived had he fallen in.

The group came to a large cavern, the ledge made only of earth held together by roots. Hopefully they were strong enough to support all of them.

Roshan took the lead, holding out the torch along the cavern. It wasn't so high, and below there were even more tunnels scattered about the walls.

He tried not to give up hope.

"Whoa, check it out! it's like, totally dark, dude!"

Crash and Eddie sat on top of the log, in which Sid was stuffed, and stared into the dark cave.

"How are we gonna see, dude?" Crash enquired, scratching the top of his head. Eddie glanced around, and spotted a stick lying nearby. Grinning, he went to retrieve it.

Upon returning, Crash watched him wandering over to Sid holding both the stick and a rock in his paws.

"Dude, what're doing?"

"Well, Sid figured out how to make fire, right? He can do it now!"

"Brilliant! only...he's all..." Crash took hold of Sid's eyelid, pulling the sloth's head up. The eyelid stretched grotesquely before Crash let Sid's head drop "...Squishy."

"Hmm...I see your point. Maybe the berries weren't stuck a good idea..."

"What are you talking about? they were an _awesome_ idea! And besides, we can give it a try. What, you just...um, hang on a second." Eddie shoved the stick into Sid's mouth, ignoring his gurgling protest. He then took another rock from nearby and struck them together.

Nothing happened.

"Dude, let me try!" Crash grabbed the rocks and slammed them together.

Yet again, no such luck.

"Oh come on!"

"You're doing it wrong, you like, slide it like this!"

Eddie scrapped the rocks off each other, and suddenly a small, but noticeable amount of sparks flew off them and onto the end of the stick.

"Oh! Oh! Doo it again!"

He did. Suddenly, the end of the stick caught light. The possums jeered happily.

"Awesome dude!"

"We are like, super cool!"

"Now, since Sid's the lord of the flames, he can hold the stick. Edd, you go on that side and I'll take this side..."

The possums, on either side of the log, rolled Sid along as they walked into the cave.

"Guyshth, cutsth it outsth!"

* * *

Once again, a gurgling line at the end of the chapter from Sid.

AND OMG IT'S RAINING REVIEWS! I HAVEN'T EVEN BEEN ON THIS SITE LONG.

I LOVE YOU ALL.

woot.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Cave Dangers and Torch Lights.

Roshan's head was bent. After a long time of searching, his men were beginning to tire, and so was he.

He was the only one standing while his friends and tribe members sat nearby. They were still traveling along the large ledge, And it seemed they were going to be doing so for a long time.

He sat down on a nearby rock and stared at his hands. If only he'd been more careful. Maybe put up a small pen around the edge of the camp to make sure his son or any other children wandered off.

He held his head in his large hand, roughened by years of work. He couldn't give up. He'd search this cave for the rest of the life if he had to.

Roshan suddenly thought of his son toddling around the tent for the first time.

He smiled faintly. The memory of his first walk was still there, though it was faint. The voices he heard, though he couldn't explain them ,were always comforting.

A tiger. A mammoth. And funny Sloth...

_"Look at that. Our little guy's growing up."_

He stood up and walked over to the side of the ledge, staring at the cavern below, a torch held in his hand.

This place was so complicated, it would take years to-

CR-A-ACK.

"Roshan, the ledge! it's not-"

Roshan's head jerked down to see the ledge below him was giving away. He turned run, but slipped before he could take so much as a step. One of the tribe members lunged forward and grabbed hold of his hand, but it wasn't enough. Roshan slipped off the side.

He grabbed a hold of the rope as he felt jerk and steady him, but the rope had caught on an exceptionally sharp rock. It had stopped his fall, but by only a second.

It snapped, and he fell the rest of the way onto the cavern's hard, stone floor.

He felt all the air being knocked for his lungs, and he lay there for a few moments, winded.

"Roshan!"

He coughed, turning onto his stomach and then onto his knees. "I'm alright! G-go back to the start of the cavern- I'll find a way back to you."

He stood up, holding his sore arm. Nothing broken- good.

"Throw me down my sack- I might need the supplies."

His men complied. After making sure their comrade was alright they began making their back along the ledge towards the caves. They knew now that continuing along the ledge was too risky- if it had given away beneath one man it would be dangerous for many to cross.

Roshan held us his torch and began making his way through one of the tunnels nearby, that seemed to be going in the same direction as his men.

_Should I go looking for my son instead? No- I can't leave my men. I'll find them and we'll continue looking. That's a sensible decision..._

Roshan sighed. By that time his son could be...no, he pushed away the thought. He decided that he'd look for his son on the way.

That sounded like a better plan.

* * *

Diego slowed his walk until he was by Manny's side. Ellie and Shira were ahead, discussing the odd paintings, which was understandable as they'd never seen anything like them before, so Diego took the moment to talk to his friend

"Manny..." the mammoth turned his head towards the saber.

"What?"

"Those paintings back there...they didn't...well..."

"I know what you're getting at, and I don't want to talk about it."

The mammoth's short, aggravated reply caused Diego to sigh deeply. "I wasn't going to talk about your family, Manny. Though you do need to talk about it sometimes."

Manny didn't respond. Diego decided to get on with it.

"I was talking about the kid. Y'know..."

"Yeah, I remember him. How couldn't I? he sent me on the most painful frustrating journey of my life with a wise-guy saber and a stupid sloth. And...if it wasn't for him, I wouldn't have found a herd."

Diego smiled. "Yeah. And when you think about it, you wouldn't have found Ellie."

"I guess... and you wouldn't have found your girlfriend."

Diego looked over at Shira, still chattering away with Ellie. "Yeah. She's a tough kitty isn't she? though don't tell her I called her that..."

He laughed nervously and paused. "I think I saw a picture of one of those cracked buds that had the melons on the wall. I didn't think the humans would still remembered them..."

"Humans have weird brains. They cover their paws in...mush. Trying to understand them is like trying to understand Sid's logic."

* * *

Sid felt awfully sick by the time Crash and Eddie decided to take a break at their sloth-rolling game. They were running around the cave attempting to find a drawing of a possum- maybe two. Well, thought Sid, At least they'd taken the fire-stick out of his mouth for a better view...

Sid gazed with lopsided eyes at the drawings.

_Yup. Still no sloths. You never see any sloths on these things._

He suddenly remembered the last time he'd seen these human paintings. He wished Diego and Manny were here to talk to about them.

He also wished Pinky could be here, too. Sometimes, he really missed that little guy.

Sid wriggled in the log.

_I- I Can feel my legs! Yay, whoohoo! I'm not paralysed anymore._

He tried talking, but only managed a few blubbering syllables.

_Okay maybe not._

* * *

Somewhere else, Scatt was scurrying through another tunnel in search of a better hiding place for his acorn.

He continued through the darkened tunnel until he tripped on something round and smooth. He yelped, flopping painfully on his belly. His acorn slipped out of his grasp and rolled somewhere to the side.

The saber-tooth squirrel gasped, jumping up immediately. He saw his acorn falling through a crack at the side of the cave. He yelped again, diving towards the crack and looking inside.

There seemed to be another tunnel below. Maybe he could fit through.

Sucking up his stomach, Scatt squeezed painfully through the gap. At first he was afraid he'd get stuck, but before he knew it he was through the crack and falling towards the new tunnel's rocky floor.

He landed with a painful thud.

Groaning loudly, he looked around for his acorn. With a gleeful gasp he spotted it, trapped in yet another, smaller crack in the ground.

He sped over to his precious acorn and began pulling at it. It was stuck tight.

In fury, the saber-squirrel pulled it with all his might, until finally it came free.

He hugged the acorn happily, unaware for only a second that the crack below was beginning to spread.

His head snapped to the right. He watched it travel all the way through the cave, and vanish. He cringed, knowing what was coming, any moment now...

CRACK.

* * *

For goodness sake, Scratt.

Reviews appreciated!


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8: Cave Crashing and Babysitting.

Shorty just wouldn't stop screaming.

Peaches had tried everything bouncing him up and down, throwing him into the air and catching him. Louis had tried playing peek-a-boo with him, but the baby just wasn't interested.

Peaches and Louis were wandering through a exceptionally wide cave. The morning sun somehow managed to leak in from tiny cracks, though how they did not know.

Shorty was thrashing about in Peaches' hold, his round face pink with all the screaming he had done.

Louis had clamped his paws over his ears; something Peaches wouldn't mind doing at the moment.

"There's gotta be something dow here we can give him!" She exclaimed. The tunnel they were walking in was sloping upwards, making even more difficult to travel.

"Hey look!" Louis momentarily removed his paws from his ears, pointing forwards. Looking over the teen mammoth saw the cave opened up into a larger, wide cavern.

She frowned in curiosity and continued forward, trying to ignore Shorty's screams.

When they entered the cavern, they saw something that lifted their spirits by a million. In the middle of the cavern was a tree- seemingly fed by the leaked in sunlight peaked through from very, very high above.

The tree held fruit resembling plums, and they were familiar to them both. And fruit meant...

"Food!" both the mammoth and molehog exclaimed. Louis hurried forward towards it as Peaches followed from behind.

But, just as Louis was nearing the tree he was struck with something small and hard.

"Ouch!"

Peaches glanced at him "What's up?"

"Something hit me!"

Peaches looked around. "I don't see anything."

"No really, something hit me!"

"Maybe you were just imaging thi-Ow, hey!"

High pitch cackled erupted from the leaves of the tree. Peaches scowled.

"Alright, who's throwing stuff?" Her response was another hit with a stone. "Ow!"

"Hey, leave her alone!" Louis stepped forward boldly, only to be bombarded by a flurry of tiny stones. He ducked, retreated back beside Peaches.

Then, up on the tree branches, a group of purple-ish furred rats appeared holding tiny blowguns, obviously what they had been using to ward off the two teenagers and the baby.

Shorty had quietened for the moment, curious about the smiling rats in the trees.

"Look, we just want a few pieces of fruit, is that too much to ask!?" Peaches yelled at them in annoyance. Apparently it was, for they shot a few more stone in her direction. "Ow! cut that out!"

They responded by cackling harshly. Louis turned to his mammoth friend, asked "How are going to the food now?"

"We whoop their little buts, that's what we do! here, hold Shorty!" Before the molehog could pretest, Peaches had shoved the infant into his arms and stormed forwards.

She reached up into the tree, dodging a stone as she reached up and grabbed one of the pests using her trunk. Abruptly is sank it's sharp teeth into her trunk, causing her to yelp and throw the rat to the side.

The other rats were momentarily distracted as they were laughing their guts out at both the mammoth and their comrade's misfortune.

Peaches took the chance to pluck a piece of fruit out of the tree and toss it behind her, and managed to collect a second one before they began bombarding her with stones again.

She retreated, using her trunk to rub her head. "Little jerks..."

Louis had placed Shorty on the ground, and was currently tearing the fruit in half. Peaches was about to question him when she saw Louis pulling the seed out of one of the halves.

He then handed them both to the whimpering baby, who happily began munching away.

"Wow..lucky you remembered about the seeds!"

Louis looked surprised at this "Well...yeah, I guess." He rubbed his neck a little.

"So are you hungry? you can have the other fruit." said Peaches.

"What? no, you have it, you've been carrying him all this time!" They sat staring at the last piece, wondering how they were going to sort it out when Shorty began wailing again.

Louis laughed nervously "Guess he's still hungry..."

"Uh-huh...and he's the youngest, so..."  
"We give it to him?" Louis smiled, picking up the other fruit. Peaches returned it.

"Yeah."

They both watched with some amount of pride as Shorty ate the last fruit. Then, Peaches lifted the baby and they began moving around the tree's perimeter, with the mammoth scowling at the rats as they did so.

"If I didn't have this kid to look after, you'd all be squashed by now!"

She didn't both looking back to see their reactions. They entered the tunnel opposite, which was much more closed that the cavern they'd left.

"Y'know...we'd make pretty good parents one day! I could _total_ handle this!"

Louis smiled a little. "Yeah...I guess we would..."

* * *

"Hey softy, come look at this!" Shira called back. Diego ignored the nick-name and hurried up beside her to where she was at the end of the tunnel.

"Look at _this..."_

"...Oh."

The tunnel came to an abrupt halt, stretching out into a huge underground chasm with a river at the bottom. It was pretty high up. They stood on a ledge, and the only way across was over a narrow, steady-looking bridge.

"Perfect." Manny mumbled as he approached. "Well, there is no way any of us are crossing that. C'mon, we'll try that other tunnel."

The two sabers were about to comply when a loud cracking sound from above stopped them.

"Manny! the tunnel behind us, it's-"

CRASH

Ellie came rushing down the tunnel towards them as the ground began to shake. The ceiling above them was begining to crack as well as the ground around them. The way that had came had completely collapsed.

"We have to cross! it's the only way!" Diego shouted. "Shira, you first!"

The female saber knew there was no time to argue and sped forward across the bridge.

"C'mon!"

Diego rushed over next, joining Shira on the other side.

Manny glanced around the trembling chasm before turning to his wife "You next, Ellie!"

"But Manny-"

"Just go!"

Ellie turned and carefully yet quickly made her way across. Finlay, Manny began making his way over.

CR-A-CK

"Manny!" Diego shouted "Look out!"

"RUN!" Ellie called frantically. Manny saw the cracks traveling along the bridge and darted forward but the ground supporting his hind legs gave away and he began falling backwards.

Ellie reached forward and wrapped her trunk around his, pulling with all her might. She managed to pull her husband onto the ledge, gasping in worry.

"Sweetie, Are you alright?" She exclaimed. Manny nodded shakily.

"Yeah I'm fine. Now, quick, inside the tunnel! this whole place's gonna collapse!"

The four hurried into the tunnel just as the cave behind them collapsed, blocking the way back for good.

"No going back now." Shira murmured quietly.

"Well... guess that means going forward" Diego replied, continuing onward.

Ellie looked over at Manny. "I almost lost you..."

Manny took hold of her trunk with his. "Don't worry. You didn't."

Ellie smiled in return. "I hope we find Peaches soon, Manny, and get back home. Crash and Eddie will be up to no good..."

"Well find her. As for your brothers, as long as their still back at the clearing with Sid, everything will be fine."

* * *

Crash and Eddie were rolling Sid along in the tree trunk in one of the tunnels. There were no more cave paintings (much to the possums disappointment) and they were calling for their sister when they heard a distant rumbling.

"Did you hear that?" asked Crash.

"Yeah, it sounded like Manny when he's hungry" Eddie replied. His brother shrugged.

"Oh well. As long as it's not...dangerous..."

"Mabeths itsth wasth a caveth inth?"

"What was that, Sid?"

"Rabies with claws and gray things?"

"Noth, maybeth itsth wasth a _caveth_-"

CRACK.

The possums whirled around when the cave began to tremble. "Ah!"

They grabbed hold of Sid's log and began rolling it quickly along. The tunnel behind them was closing up with rubble.

As the trembling subsided, the possums slowed down.

"Uuhhhh...ohhhhhh..."

"I guess we're sorta trapped in here..."

"Yeah. With Sid."

The two possum brothers glanced at each other with fear-riddled looks- and then promptly began running around and shrieking in terror.

Sid wriggled around in the log, still mostly paralysed.

"Maaaaaannnnnyyyyth, Dieeegoooth, weeereeth areth yooooutth?"

* * *

A Longer chapter for all you amazing folk out there. WOO.

So, The Possums are trapped in the caves along with a paralysed Sid now. Things just keep getting better and better.

Reviews are loved.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Cave Rolling and Falling Sloths.

Roshan coughed rashly, trying to rid the dust from his lungs from the recent cave-in. It was incredibly dark, the faint fire on the torchlight the only thing keeping him from plunging into complete darkness.

The cave in had trapped him in one of the caves only a small space at the top of the rubble was visible, but even then he couldn't possible squeeze through- he doubted that even his son, being how small he was, could either.

Worry was beginning to set in more than ever now. With all these caves in the chances that his son could be unharmed was wearing thin- and he couldn't shake the thought of his child being buried under all the rubble.

Roshan sat against the wall, gazing around the fallen rocks and boulders, trying to figure out what to do next.

He sighed, placing one hand on his temple and rubbing it smoothly to try to rid some of the tension. He had to find his son. He had to.

_Though how I have no idea. I could be trapped down here for a long time..._

Roshan decided he would rest for now, gather his strength, then try to move these rocks before any other cave-ins occurred.

* * *

"No, Shorty! Don't touch those!"

Louis ran over at full speed over to the baby, who was just about to reach out and pluck a dangerously sharp rock up from the small pool of water. The molehog snatch the baby off the ground and pulled him away just in time.

"You don't tough those!" He said, a little more firmly that he felt. The baby's felt crumbled.

"Oh no! please don't cry-"

_"Waaaaaah!"_

"I only said it because I was worried! Come on, I'm sorry!" Louis rocked the infant awkwardly. It was harder when he wasn't that much bigger than Shorty himself.

Shorty quieted down and seemed to cheer up, reached out and grabbed the molehog's nose, babbling nonsense.

"Uuuum...okay I like you two, now please let go- OW!"

Peaches came wandering over from the other side of the pool, laughing a little at the sight she saw.

"Aw, he really likes you, Louis!"

"Er yeah, but he's pulling me ears-Peaches!"

Peaches reached out and plucking Shorty out of his arms and threw him intro the air and caught him again, causing the baby to laugh excitedly.

"Aw, are you bothering poor Louis, Shorty?"

The baby waved his arms about in response. "Gah bah bah bah _bah_!"

"I think that means 'Louis is great' in baby Language!" Peaches laughed. Louis smiled a little.

"I guess it's not too hard- but he does like pulling people's ears..."

"Hmm. So, are you ready to move on? this pool is great but We really oughta be finding our way outa here."

Sid stretched his still numb-feeling arms out of the log, and began trying to free the rest of his torso. He's regained his mobility (most of it anyway) a few minutes ago, but the possums had shoved him in incredibly tight.

The possums in question had run about screaming until they completely exhausted themselves, and where currently napping somewhere nearby.

"Come on..." Sid mumbled, sucking in his stomach and trying his best to pull himself free.

"Aw man...c'mon this is..."

He came a mighty pull. But it didn't work.

In fact, it made the log slowly tip to the right, dangerously near a sloping tunnel.

"Uh oh. Crash, Eddie, HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE EEELP!"

The sloth, still half-stuck in the lock, went rolling down the tunnel at a high-speed. The possums, who were sleeping nearby, jerked away and stared after him for a few moments.

Then, they stared at each other with horrified looks.

"Quick! catch the sloth!"

They darted after the sloth, but could only catch up a little.

"Nninininininininininnininini nin!" Sid drawled with ever roll. "Aw, I think I'm gonna be sick!"

"Hang on Sid, we're save you!"

"And the log!"

"Look out! CLIFF!"

Sid's head whipped around to see where he was heading- right towards a ledge.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"

He flew off the side, spinning in the air like a boomerang.

Then, slowly, he plummeted down.

SPLASH.

Sid, still attached to the log (now standing up-right) resurfaced to sind himself floating in a large lake. A waterfall cascaded from a Behind him, seemingly coming in through a small tunnel from high up.

"I'm Alive! OW!"

Sid felt two furry balls hit his head- that turned out to be the Possums. They hopped on to either one ofthe sloth shoulders and, mimicking some sort of lookouts, raised their paws up to their eyes as if needed to shield them from the sun.

"Hmmm...nothing here."

"Hey...did you hear something?"

The sloth and the possums turned to the waterfall. Suddenly, a small figure came darting out of the tunnel along with the water, yelling in a high voice, almost squawking voice.

And it was falling straight towards them.

The possums and the sloth screamed- Crash and Eddie jumped onto the side of the leg and held onto the bark, leaving Sid to take the full hit of whatever was coming.

Something small and prickly furred landed on Sid's shoulders, causing him to yelp and wave his arms about hysterically.

"Shut up Sidney! Now, where's Precious?"

* * *

Guess who!

Reviews are appreciated.

AND OMG THE REVIEWS I'VE BEEN GETTING! YOU ARE ALL AWESOME!


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10: Cave Co-Ordinates and Grannies.

"Granny? How- OW!"

"Shut up Sidney! now where have ma teeth gone?!"

Sid didn't have any choise. The log, with the extra wight added on, tipped forward and landed face forward, with Sid lying face-up in the water. He strained his neck to keep his nose and mouth above the surface.

The log steadily began movie faster and faster along the river. Granny, who had hopped onto the log just before Sid fell forward, was sitting down holding her cane quite comfortably with Crash and Eddie holding onto the bark for dear life.

"Oh Gosh! Look out!"

"A waterside! Co-ol!"

"Wha...?" Sid raised his head even more and saw with immense horror that they were right. A very wide, slippery slide was just up ahead.

"Oh I haven't been on one o' these for decades!" Granny said glibly, prodding Sid on the head with her cane. "Can't you make this thing go Any faster, Sidney?"

"But Granny, we're gonna die!"

"Oh don't be a wuss, Sidney. Now faster!"

The log tipped over the side, sending them whooping (and screaming like a banshee in Sid's case) over the side.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah !"

* * *

"We can't be too far from the surface if rivers like this are coming in, can we?"

Having travelled a long way they'd down another cavern, this time filled with a lake and ascending river. They'd taken the time to rest and try to figure out which way to go, since there were at least 3 different tunnels leading out of the place.

Ellie was surveying the river when she asked her question, to which Diego replied,

"Depends. For all we know this waterfall could just be coming from another river, that could be going all the way up the start of the mountain. There's no telling where we are now."

"Sounds like your giving up, softy." Shira said with a laugh.

"Me? No way." He replied stubbornly "I'm just stating the facts."

"Hey guys, did you hear something?" Manny said from nearby the waterfall. At this, they all stopped and listened.

Screaming. Screaming that sounded a lot like...

"SID!"

* * *

Sid, Granny and the possums were speeding down a tiny tunnel with a roof barely higher than Granny's head. The water was moving incredibly fast with no signs that it would be slowing down anytime soon.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAARGH!"

"Whooooohooo!"

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAH-UMPH!"

Granny, who had become sick of her grandson's constant wailing, had torn off a piece of the soggy bark and stuffed it into his mouth. "Ah, that's betta. You're such a spoilsport, Sidney."

"Whoa, have you like, road on a waterslide like this before?" Asked one of the possums. The old sloth huffed indignantly.

"Humph. I road through The flood that drowned the yetties."

Crash and Eddie exchanged completely bemused glances.

* * *

Manny, Ellie and the sabers stared intently at the top of the waterfall- which was cascading out of a round, smallish opening high above.

Suddenly something came bursting from the opening, plummeting down into the lake below and splashing the unsuspecting mammals with water.

A log rolled over and hit Manny in the knee. Inside it, he saw, was a familiar floppy green thing.

"_Sid?!_ what are you doing here?! Where's-"

"INCOMIN'!"

Something purple and prickly landed on Diego's back, causing the saber to yell and jump, trying to get it off. But before he could do so he found he was being whacked with the end of Granny's cane.

"What you yellin' at, lady?"

"Granny? what- ow!"

"Perfect." Manny said, his voice loaded with sarcasm "Who else is here?"

Crash and Eddie, who had tried to sneak away, found themselves being grabbed by their sister's trunk.

"You guys, _seriously!" _She exclaimed, giving them a shake, "Now we're all stuck down here!"

"We just wanted to help!"

"Yeah, what he said!"

"You two couldn't even help Sid pick berries!" Manny barked at them from where he was trying to pull Sid out of the log.

With a 'Pop' Sid was pulled from the log at last. He sighed in relief. "Aw, thanks, Manny. You wouldn't believe how uncomfortable that was...ow..." He stretched his back, trying to rid it a crick.

"You three shouldn't have come down here!" Manny scolded, turning to the possums.

"Hey, they stuffed me in a log and rolled me along for the ride!"

"And how on earth did your Granny get here Sid? I thought you left up at the cove with those other old folks for the day!"

"I _was_ with those pansies for a while." The old sloth retorted scornfully. "But they was dumb. So I went for a ride in the river, and ended up going in some cave."

"Perfect..."

"Guess the whole parties here now." Shira interrupted the banter quickly. " The question now is, which way do we go?"

The group looked around the tunnels doubtfully.

"Maybe we should take the middle..." Manny suggested, gesturing with his trunk to the middle cave.

"Nah, the right. We went through the middle the last time." Diego replied.

"Hey guys, who's that?"

The others following Ellie's pointed trunk to see a small, grey saber-tooth squirrel rushing out from one of the caves.

Though Manny thought the squirrel looked familiar, he brushed it aside.

"Hey buddy!"

"What're doing Manny?" Diego asked from beside him.

"We'll ask skimpy here if he knows which way's the way out. Hey, you!"

The squirrel jumped and whirled around to face him suspiciously.

"Hey buddy, do you know the way outa here by any chance?"

The saber- squirrel thought for a moment before shaking its head. Manny gave a frustrated sigh.

"Hey- Let's ask him if he's seen Peaches and Louis!" Ellie suggested quickly, stepping forward.

"Hey pal, have you seen a young Mammoth and a molehog?"

The squirrel scratched his chin thoughtfully before jumping up and down, nodded and whipping in a high-pitch voice.

"He's seen them!" Manny exclaimed before addressing him again. "Where are they?"

"When did you last see 'um?" Sid added quickly.

The squirrel appeared to be trying to figure out how to explain something. Finally, he pointed over at the waterfall and used his arm to mimic something sliding.

"They had a drink?"

"They went for a swim?"

He shook his head in frustration and pointed again at the waterfall, then repeated the sliding movement.

"Oh, oh!" Crash waved a paw in the air "They went on a water slide, too!?"

The squirrel nodded quickly.

"Good one, Crash!"

"Well where did it go?" Shira asked with a raised eyebrow. Just knowing they went on a water slide didn't tell them where they were.

The Squirrel used his claws to mimic something walking.

"They went somewhere?"

"Where"

The saber-squirrel rubbed his chin again before putting one finger into the air, signalling he'd thought of something. He ran over to the log and tore of a piece of the bark, curving it like an arch and repeated the walking action.

"They...went into another cave?"

More nodding.

"Which way was this cave?" Diego asked him.

The rodent pointed back the way he had come, the left cave.

"Thanks Buddy! we owe ya one!" Manny said, making his way towards the cave. "C'mon everyone!"

But before they could enter the squirrel came running in front of them, blocking their paths, jumping up and down frantically.

"Er..." Diego said "I think theres something else he wants to tell us."

"No kiddin'..." Manny replied "What is it, Buddy? we haven't got all year."

The squirrel closed both os his paws and put on on top of the other.

"They're's something going to beat us up?" one of the possums suggested.

He shook his head and flattened out one of his paws, using the other to mimic walking. Then, he pointed at himself. After that he covered his paw with the other for a few seconds, then mimicked walking on that one.

"Their walking on...A higher floor than you were on?" Diego suggested reluctantly, one brow raised.

The squirrel jumped up again, nodding and pointing at Diego.

"Whoa, softy." Shira mused beside him "Nice going."

"Yeah, but It means we're still far from Peaches and Louis." Manny said. Ellie took hold of his trunk with her own. "Well it's something anyway. Thanks, buddy- hey, where'd he go?"

Looking around they saw that the saber-tooth squirrel had vanished.

* * *

Scratt had run off in search of a new hiding place. He didn't know why, but it felt like there was something he forgot to mention about the Teen mammoth and molehog.

Now what was it?

He scratched his head doubtfully. Huh. maybe it was nothing. Brushing off the thought, he scurried away into another tunnel.

* * *

WOO ANOTHER CHAPTER'S UP.

Read and Review, Folks.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11: Cave Clearing and Doodles.

Roshan stuck the end of the torch between two of the larger rocks, pushing to the right with all his strength in an attempt to move them away from the caves entrance. He had been at it for hours, long after the torch went out. Luckily small specks of sunlight managed to leak in.

With a grunt he applied more pressure. Come on, just a bit more...

The rocks tumbled away with a clatter, and the man had just a moment to move out of their way as they fell to avoid getting hit by them

Now the opening was at least three times as big as if had been. Maybe just big enough for him to squeeze through...

Grabbing his pack he climbed up the rocky pile, careful to watch his footing.

He tossed his pack and the torch (a stick would be the better term for it now that it wasn't lit) through the opening first, then cautiously squeezed through the opening himself, slipping his legs in first so he could land standing up.

He slid through quickly, stumbling when he landed on the other side. He bent down and scooped up his pack and the un-lit torch, taking a deep breath before walking through the tunnel, hoping to find some sort of plan on the way.

As he turned around the corner of the tunnel, her found one of the walls had a large crack in it- one looking out onto another place. Curious, Roshan wandered over and stared through the narrow crack, brown eyes widening at what he saw.

A mammoth, a sloth and a tiger disappearing into another cave. A trio a very familiar animals.

He had a sudden, vague sense of familiarity.

_He was sat on top of the Mammoth's head as they wandered through a giant place make of ice, with frozen fish and lots of slides..._

He stared att he cave where he'd seen them going for a while before shaking his head.

He must have been seeing things. No animal in its right mind would come down here. An even if they did, he needed to find his son and his men, not go looking for a runaway herd.

Still, even as he walked away, Roshan couldn't help but wish that it had been his old friends he'd seen, and if they were, that they had seen him.

"Hey Peaches, look!"

Louis stepped back to admire his handiwork. Peaches, still holding a very noisy Shorty, wandered over to see what he was talking about.

"Whoa, you did one of those cave pictures! Nice."

louis had used a rock to draw a picture roughly resembling Peaches, himself and the baby. It wasn't a work of art like the other ones, probably due to inexperience and lack of colour, but it was charming all the same.

"Ha, d'you think is someone came all the way down here that they'd find that? that would be like, so cool." Peaches said, placed Short down beside the drawing so he could see better.

Shorty stood up on his leg wobbly and rested both of his chubby hands over it, gurgling in wonder.

"He seems to like it." Louis remarked from beside him. Upon hearing his voice Shorty turned and toddled towards him, arms stretched to hug him.

"Um...mayne you shouldn't-" Too late. Short had caught the molehog in a bone-crushing cuddle. "Or m-maybe you wil..."

"Aw..." Peaches cooed, before reached over and once again removing Louis from the baby's grip. "C'mon now. We need to find a way of getting you home."

"How'd you think we're gonna manage that? I mean, we're so lost in here...for all we now we could be going around in circles."

"Hmm." Peaches knew he was right. She placed Shorty back down on the ground and raised her trunk to her head, prodding it. "There's gotta be a way..."

"Hey Peaches...look..." Louis pointed at Shorty, who had grabbed a nerby stone and was happily scribbling all over the smooth stone wall.

Louis picked up a stone, examining it. "What if we left behind a drawing- or a sign- everywhere we've been. So if we saw it again, we'd know we'd already been there."

Peaches paused for a moment, taking in what he had said. Then, she snatched him up in her trunk and hugged him close.

"Oh my gosh! that's the most brilliant idea, ever, Louis! You're awesome!"

"Actually it was Shorty that gave me the idea, but...thanks anyway." He replied nervously.

Peaches set him back on the ground and scooped up Shorty. "Alright, Mr incredible, grab a few rocks and let's get going! This'll totally speed things up..."

A few tunnels Later, Louis saw that Peaches was frowning thoughtfully, staring at the sleeping Shorty curled up in her trunk.

"What is it?" he asked, a little concerned.

"Na, it's nothing. It's just that with all this excitement going on I forgot Dad did something like this way before I was born..."

"What'd you mean?"

"I mean he returned a human baby to his herd."

"Whoa!" Louis looked genuinely surprised. "Guess you really do take after him..."

"It's how he, Diego and Sid met. They all traveled, like, hundreds of miles to get him back home and on the way...somehow became the best of friends."

"That sounds like a pretty good story. Why'd you never mention it before? Not that I'm angry about you not mentioning it or anything..."

"It's just...it always felt like a bedtime story more than something that actually happened. It sorta feels different now. I guess I can believe it more now that I'm _actually_ experiencing it."

"Well, It isn't something I thought I'd been doing anytime in my life, so I wouldn't have known what it was like." Louis remarked. "Y'know...getting involved with humans. Wonder what happened to that baby they returned. Did they ever see him again?"

Peaches shook her head. "Nah. They never saw him again."

"Huh. That's kinda sad. But at least they got him back to his herd, right?"

"Uh-huh. But..." Peaches looked a little sad now. Louis tilted his head.

"What is it?"

"It's just that...I'm gonna miss him." She said, staring forlornly at the baby she was holding. The molehog paused for a while, before agreeing. "Yeah, I guess I'll miss him, too..."

* * *

CHAPTER 11 DUDES. YEAH.

Ow my back. I need to take a break...


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12: Cave Colours and Hopes.

"Whoa, guys, check this out!"

Crash and Eddie, who had run on ahead, where jumping up and down further on in the tunnel.

"It's not another dead end is it?" Diego called with somewhat of a grimace. Shira rolled her eyes. "Oh that'll be just great..."

"No! no! It's- it's a-"

"One of those thingies!"

Manny joined Shira in her eye-rolling. "Yeah, and what is 'one of those thingies' you're talking about?" He asked as he drew closer to them. His eyes widened.

Scribbled on the wall was a pitcure- unlike the ones the humans had drawn back at the start of the cave. It had been done with a rock like Sid sometimes did, and the figures on it where all too familiar.

"It's Peaches and Louis! they must have drawn this!" Ellie exclaimed as she ran a trunk over the picture. "We must be going the right way after all!"

"See?" Sid called, swaggering over with an air of confidence "I told you going up that other tunnel instead of the one_ you_ said we should take was a good idea Manny!"

"I only went up that way because Ellie agreed with you." Manny replied curtly as they began moving down the tunnel again, hope lighting up in their hearts. "What matters now is that we're on their trail."

"Wait, Manny!"

Manny halted, as did the others. Ellie was still back at the drawing, staring at it in concentration. Manny, slightly, concerned, turned back and rejoined her beside it.

"What is it?"

"What's that little thing Peaches is holding?" She gestured to a small, round figure curled up in her trunk. The image brought back a whole wave of memories.

Sid and Diego, who had also returned beside the cave drawing, seemed to notice it as well.

"That looks kinda like Pinky!" Sid said loudly, pointing at the figure.

"Pinky?" Shira repeated. Diego coughed slightly.

"Um...that's kinda a long story." He said, before going on to say "But what would another human baby be doing down here with them?"

"And what are the odds of it finding them?" Manny mumbled, completely confused. Ellie seemed to be thinking .

"Oh! what if, listen you guys, what if they found him in here and tried to return him somehow?" She said "They must have! just like you three had done all that time ago!"

"You returned a baby back to its heard?" Shira asked, grinning at Diego from the side.

"Uh...yeah, it's how the herd was brought together..." he replied dismissively.

"Aw, that is so sweat, softy. No wonder you're with these guys."

Diego huffed a bit "Okay, so I'm not made of stone."

"Well, if they did try to return him, why did they go into the caves?" Sid asked. Granny rolled her eyes and hit him on the head.

"Ow!"

"_Because_, doofus. The kid probably wandered in from some other cave and they thought those monkey people were on the other side."

The whole group stood quietly, staring at the old sloth.

"That's...actually possible." Diego said in amazement. The old sloth wandered past him huffily, giving him a bonk on the head as well.

"You think old people don't know anything? I've been alive since your grandaddy was a cub, I know more than you, Lady! Now lets move, I'm sick of this cave!"

The herd shrugged and followed the old sloth along the tunnel and away from the drawing, which would probably stay there for a very long time.

* * *

Roshan's men had returned to the camp with heavy hearts. After separated from Roshan, they had traveled back along the tunnel only to get caught in yet another earthquake, that blocked the way back to him. The tunnels were now dangerous and had all been changed, with some being blocked and others being opened.

It could take years to figured them all out. Still, even with all the complications they had somehow made it back to the exit. Without Roshan.

Nida had been completely crushed to learn that both her husband and her precious baby were both trapped in the caves now, and had broken down and wept for hours. Her relatives and friends hid their best to comfort her, but in the end there was nothing they could do to help.

The men promised to go back into the caves the next day with fresh supplies to look for them, but hope was draining along with the light in the evening sky.

Nida sat at the edge of the camp, seriously considering going into the caves herself, but in the end she knew it was pointless. The others were much more experienced, and getting herself lost would only complicate things further.

She held her hands against her eyes and wept.

* * *

Roshan was standing on a ledge, staring down a wide chasm. It was a very long way down. He'd walked a long way, and he'd found sever dead ends before coming to a stop at the edge of the tunnel.

There was a rocky wall opposite a small waterfall, one that had visible cracks and footholds he was sure he could use to get to the other side.

The other ledge was a bit further down- he would have to be careful when landing not to lose his balance.

Tying his pack to the belt on his waist, he threw the torch over to the other ledge, where it landed with a thunk.

Rubbing his hands together and bracing himself, Roshan took hold of the wall and placed his foot in one of the crasks. Taking a deep breath, he hauled himself off the ledge and began making his way precariously along the wall.

His hand slipped suddenly and he just managed to grab onto the handhold again before he fell, flattening himself against the cool stone.

He took a few more breaths to calm himself and continued.

Abruptly, the cave began to tremble. Roshan's eyes widened as the wall began to crack and shake. He had to jump for it.

Barring his teeth he through himself off the wall toward the ledge. He slammed stomach-first onto the side and slipping quickly off the edge.

He grabbed the tip of the ledge with his hands to stop his fall. With the chasm shaking dangerously like this, he knew that he couldn't linger there long for fear of falling.

He pulled himself back up onto the ledge and snatched up the torch, sprinting down the sloping tunnel.

The tunnel came to a sudden, deep slope, and Roshan was running so fast from the upcoming cave in that he didn't stop in time.

He lost his footing and tumbled down the slope, landing painfully on his leg at the bottom.

Grunting, he turned himself over and held his leg in his hands, applying pressure to help with the pain.

"Oh, no." He muttered. His leg was sprained; maybe even broken. This really decreased his chances of finding his way out- and if his leg didn't get seen to soon...

_I really don't have much in my pack that'll help. I'll have to bind it the best I can and then..._

He didn't know what next. Most of him wanted to continue searching for his son- even though the hope he was still alive was dwindling.

His head suddenly felt dizzy. He looked back at his leg, pulling the cloth away- to find it was bleeding quite badly. It had probably been cut on a sharp stone.

Roshan acted immediately began binding the would to stop the bleeding, but by the time he was done he'd almost passed out from the loss of blood.

The last thing Roshan remembered before the darkness closed in was wondering how in the name of his ancestors he was going to get out of here.

* * *

Chapter 12 people. It's all beginning to come together.

Review please!

My other stories are getting ignored :(

Oh well I guess people like Ice Age better...


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13: Cave Ledges and Squirrels.

"Gagaboo!"

Shorty waved his hands about as he toddled around the tunnel. Peaches had allowed him to wave a little run to stretch his legs while she and Louis decided which way to go.

They were faced with two decisions: One tunnel went upwards, while the other sloped down.

"I think she should try to go as high as possible after going down that water slide." Louis suggested. Peaches considered it quietly.

"Yeah...I guess we did get really far down. Maybe going up's the best idea..." She turned and picked Shorty up, who gurgled happily upon seeing her.

"C'mon Shorty. We're going up!"

As they began walking towards the tunnel entrance, Louis hurried over to the wall and drew and arrow pointing the way they were about to go. "Just encase." He said to himself.

He turned and hurried after Peaches and Shorty, who were already making their way up the tunnel.

"Hey look! here's another one!"

Crash and Eddie jumped up and down beside yet another arrow in the tunnels. The rest of the group caught up, and Manny nodded in determination.

"We're getting close, I can feel it!"

Ellie looked over ta her husband and nodded. "It's definitely a good lead. We're bound to catch up ti them eventually."

"We'll have to pick up the pace otherwise we'll be chasing them through this place for years!" Diego said, coming up beside the mammoths.

"What Granny? she won't be able to run so fast..." Sid said. Suddenly the heard was looking at him in a _very_ smug matter.

"Uh...guys? what are you..."

* * *

"Ow! Granny, stop hitting me!"

Granny sloth was now positioned on Sid's shoulders as they traveled through the caves. The herd had all agreed that Sid, being the devoted grandson he was, should carry Granny through the caves as they hurried on.

They were going quicker this time and had gotten through quite a few tunnels already, passing more and more arrows as they did. But Sid couldn't take much more.

"Oh, quite your whining for once, Sidney, and get movie! we're falling behind!"

"But-ouch!"

He quickened his pace until he was trotting alongside Diego and Shira, who couldn't help but grin. Sid ignored them.

Soon they came to yet another cavern, again different from all the others they had seen. The ceiling was very, very high and more tunnels entrances were scattered around the place.

"This place is so confusing!" Eddie moaned from his position- that is, dangling from Ellie's trunk upside down by his tail beside his brother. "Which one did they go in?"

"We haven't seen another arrow for a while. You don't think we're getting off trail do you?" Diego asked while glancing between the many tunnel entrances.

"Better hope not." Ellie sighed.

Scratt scurried over a ledge that was looking over another cavern down below. It was very high up- too high to survive should he fall. Gulping the squirrel scurried along the ledge, letting off anxious, chattering noises.

Suddenly he heard something down below. Turning, he spotted the two mammoths, two sloths, two possums and two sabers from before down below. He scratched his head at all the pairs. Shrugging, he continued running across the the ledge and into next tunnel, and was running along it when he bumped into something familiar.

"Owch! not you again!"

Louis jumped back from the crazed squirrel who was waving his fist at him in hatred. Peaches groaned upon seeing him. "Not you again! Y'know, what are you even doing in here?!"

Scratt growled at the teens angrily- and then stopped. _Wait a minute._

Louis and Peaches watched uneasily as the squirrel looked back they way he had come- the way they were heading- and then back at them. He did this again and again.

"Er...do you think he's stuck on a loop or something?" Louis asked reluctantly, and eyebrow raised.

Peaches snorted "Something like that anyway. It's getting _real_ annoying!"

"Aga!" Shorty added for good measure.

Suddenly the rodent began hopping up and down on madly, pointed back the way he had come.

"Er, you wanna show us something?" Louis suggested. The squirrel nodded quickly, rushing back to the mouth of the cave, looking back at them and gesturing frantically.

Scratt stared over the high ledge, making sure the other mammoths and the rest where still there. The mammoth, molehog and little furless creature they had finally approached the tunnel exit.

"What are you..." Peaches gasped at what the squirrel was pointing at. There, down below, was her father and her herd!

She rushed out to the edge, yelling at the top of her voice down towards them, Louis gasping and running up beside her.

_"DAD!"_

Manny jumped, looking around frantically "Peaches? where are you, sweetie?"

"Up here, Dad!"

The herd all looked up and spotted them. The possums gave a joyful whoop as the Sabers breathed as sigh of both relief and exhaustion.

Sid gasped happily as Ellie stepped forward "Peaches! honey are you alright?! we've been looking for you everywhere!"

"I'm okay, Mom, and so's Lous!" She gestured over at the molehog, who waved.

"Oh, we're so glad you're okay!" Her mother said.

"Do you think you can get down somehow?" Diego called up to her.

"We got up here from where you are! through the tunnel!" Louis pointed at one of the tunnels below.

"Um...I think I might have forgotten to put an arrow..."

"We've been following those arrows coming after you, you know!" Sid called up, still struggling with his Granny on his shoulders.

"The arrows!" Peaches turned to Louis jubilantly "Louis, you are a genius!"

"Actually I didn't think of that...haha..." Louis replied bashful, rubbing his neck.

"Stay there!" Manny called up "We'll come up!"

"No, I don't think this ledge is strong enough to hold us all! we'll come down!" Peaches replied, turning around and making her way back the way they'd come. Louis followed behind.

"Alright, but hurry!" she heard her father call "Don't get lost on the way down!"

As they made their way back down, everyone had completely forgotten (in their excitement of finding each other again) about the small figure still siting happily in curled Peaches' trunk.

It was only untill they had gotten back inside the tunnel when Peaches remembered.

"What're we gonna tell them?" she asked, turning to Louis worriedly. Shorty gabled, unaware of what they were discussing.

"I'm sure they'll understand- they did it themselves once, right?"

"Hm...I guess you're right there. C'mon, let's get down to them! I can't wait to see them again- oh, but Dad'll be so _mad_..."

Their voices trailed away as they disappeared around the corner. Scratt, who had also been completely forgotten, was running through a different tunnel from them. He soon found a small opening leading into a tiny cave with a roof barely higher than his long head.

There, he spotted a nice hole in the ground, perfect for his nut.

He immediately, and without thinking, slammed the nut into the space, and paused.

Nothing happened. Sighing in relief the saber- squirrel turned to leave- when reality stabbed him in the back.

CRACK.

* * *

FOR GODS SAKE SCRATT.

Are you getting tired of these cave-ins? too bad.

REVIEW.


	14. Chapter 14

**_Author's note- Okay people I just want to note that Updates may slow down a bit- but not too much. It depends, though. the longer time passes the longer the updates may get because I've got important things coming up and I may not have time._**

**_But, for now, here's the next chapter. Enjoy._**

* * *

Chapter 14: Cave Collapsing and Rescue.

Roshan limped through the tunnel with exhausting effort. He'd tied the end of the torch to a discarded branch he'd found in a river, probably washed in from the surface, together to lengthen it into a crutch. He bit his lip, doing his best to ignore the stabbing pain the sped up his leg whenever he put any weight on it.

He'd regained consciousness a while ago now, and he didn't seem to be getting any better health-wise. He had escaped a fever by an inch, for the wound had been slightly infected by the time he'd woken up. Roshan had applied some herbs quickly and had managed to stop the infecting before it could spread.

Roshan felt a sinking feeling in his chest with ever step. The chances that his son could still be alive seemed near impossible yet he clung to a fool's belief that he'd avoided the reoccurring cave-ins. That hope was the only thing keeping him alive at the moment, as was the thought of his wife back home.

Panting, he continued on.

* * *

"Dad!"

Peaches and Louis hurried out of the cave at full speed towards the herd. When the mammoth's parents reached her they bundled her into a hug, wrapping their trunks around her tight.

"Oh my baby I though I'd never _see _you again!" Ellie wept.

"I know Mom, I'm real sorry it's just-"

"Don't you ever do this again young lady!"

"But Dad We were-"

"No buts!" Manny said. Now that his Daughter was safe, it was time for a good old fashioned lecture. But Peaches wasn't having it just yet.

"But Dad,_ Look_!"

Suddenly something incredibly familiar was thrust towards his face by Peaches. Shorty babbled happily, reached out for the older mammoth gleefully.

"Oh..." Was all he could manage. He'd completely forgotten about this.

"Oh My gosh!" Sid set Granny down and came running full speed over to were they were. "He looks just like Pinky! can I hold him, can I, can I?"

"Peaches..." Manny said slowly as Peaches handed Shorty to a very happy Sid "Where exactly did you find him?"

"When we were exploring the caves, he came wandering in from another tunnel." Louis explained, walking up beside Peaches "We figured he came in from the other side of the cave, and we were gonna return him to his heard, only...we got lost."

"Brilliant."

"Aw, he's so cute!" Sid cooed. Then he stared. The baby covered his eyes, then uncovered them, gurgling. Sid's eyes widened at a sudden memory.

_"That's right, were's the baby!"_

"We've been playing peek-a-boo with him to keep him occupied." Louis explained to the baffled sloth. Sid smiled a little, sadly.

"Yeah. We used to play 'were's the baby' with Pinky. Diego first tried it to stop him crying- but HEended up scarin' him, right Diego?"

"Yeah..." The tiger said quietly. "Good times."

Shira rose a brow at the gurgling creature. "So that's a human? Doesn't look like he'll grow up into a fearless hunter..."

"Trust me, he will." Diego muttered.

"So whaddawe do with him?" Crash Asked as he and Eddie jumped up on Ellie's tusks to get a better look at the small human.

"We should return him!" Sid said. The sentence almost floored Manny it was so familiar.

"How? we don't exactly know the way outa here never mind which way it is to the kid's herd.." Diego put in. Peaches replied:

"Well, maybe we should just concentrate on getting out of here, then we'll find a way to get Shorty back home."

Manny rose a brow "Shorty?"

"Yeah...that's what we called him. Y'know?"

"Aw..." Ellie cooed, tickling Shorty under the chin with her trunk, making him giggle, "He's such a sweetie!"

"C'mon buddy, for old times' sake? Can we find his herd?" Sid gave him a big-eyed look. Manny rolled his eyes.

"Alright, alright. We'll find Shorty's parents once we get he heck out of here. Now, let's try this way-"

CRA-ACK!

The ground gave a sudden lurch, jerking the mammals into a state of shock. Manny looked over his shoulder and saw the ledge above, that Peaches and Louis had stood on, was breaking off the wall.

"Quick! into the tunnel!" he yelled, and the herd began hurrying over to the left tunnel.

"Wait!" Sid yelled, holding Shorty in his arms "Granny!"

Granny sloth was still standing in the cavern behind them. Shira doubled back, ignoring Diego's protest, and snatched Granny up by the scruff with her teeth just before a boulder hit the ground where she had stood and hurried back over to them. She ignored the old sloth saying:

"Hey! I can walk you know!" She seemed completely unaware that she was about to be crushed just a few seconds before.

She jumped into the cave just before the ceiling collapsed, sending dust hurtling over the herd.

After a few moments of harsh coughing passed.

When the herd gathered itself up again, Manny stood up and began moving down the tunnel.

"Alight, we have to move before any more tunnels collapse- We're going to end up stuck in here if we don't move fast."

"He's right." Diego said "We'd better get going..."

The herd moved down the tunnel away from the rubble, unaware about what was happening somewhere outside the caves.

* * *

Nida watched with a heavy heart as Roshan's group re-entered the cave for a second time, carrying rope, torches and supplies, but not too much hope.

Clasping her shaking hands together, she prayed again and again for her husband and son's safe return.

How could she have let her son just wander off like that? she should have been more carefully. Now, because of her foolishness, both of them were trapped somewhere under the mountain.

Nida sighed, placing her head in her hands as the group of men vanished into the tunnels, and into the hopeless dark.

* * *

Roshan raised his head upon hearing some odd sounds below the ground. It seemed there was another tunnel below the one he was walking through, or maybe another cavern. Whatever it was, something was down there.

He stumbled towards another opening, but stopped short when he saw it led to a sheer drop. He was about to turn away when he saw that along the rocky wall on the other side was what seemed to left of a ledge. Looking down he saw a large amount of ruble. Obviously, there had been a ledge here before the cave-in just a few moments ago, and it had fallen down with the ceiling.

The rubble was blocking most of another cave entrance below. Roshan frowned when he heard another noise behind the rocks- a sound that sounded a bit like an echo of his son's laugh.

His eyes widened and his heart filled with a bright hope. His son was somewhere in those tunnels!

Smiling, Roshan went back, promising himself that he'd figure out a way to get down. As he was thinking this he spotted something on the wall of a tunnel to his right.

An arrow pointing downwards.

He frowned, tracing a hand over the drawing. It was no mistake- this had been drawn on purpose. Did that mean someone else was down here?

Still cautious, Roshan limped down the tunnel that the arrow pointed to, and found to his great surprise and joy that it led down into the very cavern he was trying to get to.

Silently, he thanked whoever had left the arrow there and made his way towards the half-buried tunnel, fully intending on finding a way in.

* * *

CHAPTER 14 IS UP.

Review please.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15: Cave savings and old friends.

Sid walked along, carrying little Shorty with him. He couldn't believe how much the baby looked like Pinky- though there where a few noticable differences: His eyes were not as round and were a darker shade of brown than his had been.

"You know kid, you're really lucky ya got us. We're professionals when it comes to people loosing their herds. I got lost down in a place with dinosaurs..."

Manny rolled his eyes as Sid prattled on about that particular incident. "Sid, I doubt he can understand you."

"Oh come on, Manny..."

"Hey guys, look, there's more light coming in from here!" Ellie called back. The herd looked up to find that the cracks through the ceiling were letting in an ever brighter light. Shira smiled.

"I guess we're near the surface."

"Yeah. I think I can smell the woods from here" Diego agreed, raising a brow considerably.

"That means we're almost outa here!" Louis exclaimed excitedly as they continued going forward.

"Yeah, and after this we'll be able to find Shorty's herd, right Dad?"

Manny nodded a little. "Yeah. Wherever it is."

They continued on, hopeful.

As they navigated their way down a white tunnel they found the ground was gradually become more dirt-filled as they went up a slope.

"We're getting closer- I think we're nearly there!" Peaches exclaimed.

Sid poked Shorty's nose affectionately as Granny came up beside him. "Ya here that, lil' fella? we're almost there!"

Shorty babbled adorable while Granny rolled her eyes.

"Ah, that kid's cute alright, but he's uglier than you had been when you were a baby, Sidney."

"Granny, that's not nice..."

The herd came into another open cave, a wide one. The tunnel continued on the other side of the curved cavern, and there was a bridge above them at the side.

"Alright, let's get going. I gotta bad feeling about this place." Manny said.

Ellie rolled her eyes teasingly. "You're such a worry wort, Manny."

It turned out that Manny had a good reason to be worried. And that reason was Scratt.

* * *

The saber squirrel was standing on the tip of a long, pointed rock that was balancing dangerously like a seesaw over a deep chasm, trying to reach his nut, that had been caught on a straying root sticking out of the wall.

He leaned as paw over, grumbling with effort, bulging eyes screwed shut. But he leaned too far and slowly, ever-so slowly, the rock began to tip forwards.

His eyes snapped open and he scurried back, restoring the balance. Breathing out shakily, he tried again, reaching as far as he could...

Cr-a-a-ck..

"Do-ee..." He cringed slightly as the rock tipped over and fell down, taking him with it.

He managed to gran onto another root before it collided with the ground, shaking the cavern and sending more cracks up the walls.

He hung there and gave a frustrated scream- for he was too far down from the nut to possibly reach it.

* * *

"Whoa-"

Manny stumbled as the ground gave another jolt.

"Run!" Diego shouted- and soon Manny saw exactly why. Above, rocks the size of his head were falling towards the ground like hailstones.

Giant, sharp hailstones. Some of them weren't that big- but the distance between the roof and the ground would surely make the impact deadly.

Manny turned to start moving, too- when he saw Sid trip with the baby. Shorty slid across the ground, crying out in surprise. Manny saw a shadow cast itself over the infant and looked up to see a rock coming straight for him.

"MANNY!" Sid screamed.

The mammoth rushed forward and plucked the baby away from the spot just before the rocks hit it, breaking into pieces on impact. Sid ran around the fragments, gasping.

"Good one, Manny- that was close!"

"Move you idiot!" Manny shoved the baby in his arms and shoved Sid in the back with the edge of his tusk, sending the sloth running towards the next tunnel opening.

Ellie and Peaches were already there. Manny frowned in determination and hurried towards them.

The rest of the herd called encouragingly when suddenly Peaches heard a louder crack from above.

Looking up she saw a sharp rock break off the roof and fall- straight towards her father.

"DAD!" She screamed _"Look out!"_

* * *

Roshan had taken another tunnel in his hast to get away from the cave-in, and found himself taking a completely different track. Still limping, he glanced around for any sign of an arrow and found none.

Sighing, Roshan scolded himself mentally for getting off track as he limped quickly through the tunnel. As he exited it into another cavern, trying to keep his balance with the trembling ground, the man found he was standing on a low bridge at the side of another cavern.

He frowned in concentration when he spotted something- or some things- in the cavern, avoid the rockfall.

His eyes widened when he saw some tigers, one of them very familair- a sloth, and a mammoth. The ones he had seen before.

He almost dropped his stick. It...it was...

Before he could finish the mental sentence, Suddenly he spotted something in the arms of the sloth, who was stumbling as he ran. His heart skipped a beat.

His son!

His mouth parted in a joyful and relieved smile- only to vanish in horror as the sloth tripped, dropping the baby.

His son was about to get hit by a falling rock- and he had been about to leap off the bridge when the mammoth turned back and snatched him away, shoving him back into the sloth's arms and pushing them both forward.

He smiled again, gratefully. That mammoth...he defiantly was the one who had saved him all those years ago- him, the sloth and the saber.

Suddenly he heard another mammoth's trumpet- a young one, who was gesturing with her trunk at something above. The elder mammoth turned, and his eyes widened as he saw a smaller but sharper rock coming straight for him.

Roshan knew what he had to do.

* * *

Manny screwed his eyes shut as the rock came inches away from his skull- but they snapped open when he heard a yell from the side.

A stick came flying from the side, knocking the sharp boulder away from him and sending it crashing to the side.

Holding his breath, Manny turned to see who had just saved his life.

A human was climbing down from the low bridge they'd seen earlier. When he reached he ground he turned to him, and Manny stared even more.

Panting, them man stepped forward, limping slightly, and stopped. They stared at each other for a while.

It was like being back in Glaciar Pass, surrounded by snow and icy walls, staring at the tribe leader who had been the baby's father.

Then, very slowly, the human raised his hand to his eyes, covering them, then moved them away.

Large, light browns eyes that were so familiar were filled with gratitude and happiness. His eyes misting over with the happyness of an old memory, Manny raised his trunk and rested it against the man's palm.

"Hey there, squirt."

Pinky obviously didn't understand him anymore, but smiled wider all the same. As The rest of the herd held back, confused, Diego and Sid made their way over, both jaws hanging open slightly and eyes widening with every step.

Sid stared up at the human, recognizing him almost immediately.

"Oh my gosh...I can't believe it!" He ran over, bundling him in a bone crushing hug.

"It's you! It's you, Oh gosh, we never thought we'd _see_ you again, pal!"

"Hey squirt. Guess you can't stay out of trouble after all..." Diego said quietly.

Though he couldn't understand, Pinky turned to him and placed one hand over his eyes, then moved it away, just like Diego had done so many years ago. The memory was still fresh in their minds after all this time.

The saber repeated the action with a soft smile. Sid jumped about. "Yeah- that's right! where's the baby!"

"Aga!"

Pinky's eyes widened and he smiled in amazement. Looking over the trio saw Peaches and Louis had come over, Peaches carrying Shorty with her.

She placed him on the ground before her, smiling at Pinky gently.

The man bent down the best he could, for it seemed his leg was injured badly.

He stretched his arms out slowly. Shorty, babbling happily, toddled closer, and into his arms.

Just like his father had done all those years ago, Pinky wrapped his arms around him and held him tight, as Peaches smiled kindly and Sid wiped a tear away.

His son touched his face gently, gurgling happily. Pinky smiled at Louis and Peaches gratefully,

nodding his head. She and Louis did the same in response.

"Is getting lost in babyhood an on-going thing in his family?" Crash asked behind from behind them as the rest of the herd approached them. Eddie shrugged.

"Probably."

The rest of the herd surrounded Pinky and Shorty, smiling.

"Huh. Guess he turned out okay." Shira commented. Ellie came up to stand beside Manny, smiling gently.

"He got himself a family." She said.

She didn't though that Roshan was thinking the exact same thing as he looked at the father mammoth, only he said added 'again' to the end.

* * *

Heading towards the end, I'm sorry to say, people.

More to come, though.

Please review!


	16. Chapter 16

FINALLY I GOT MYSELF TO CONTINUE THIS.

please review.

* * *

CHAPTER 16: Send me on my way.

"I really, really can't believe we're seeing ya again, kid! Oh gosh, I still can't believe how big ya got...you were so tiny."

Pinky was sat on Manny's back, something the human, mammoth, tiger and sloth all found heartwarming and nostalgic. He'd apparently hurt himself in a cave-in as his leg was broken badly. He was rather pale looking but a smile remained on his face.

Roshan did not know what it was, but he could almost tell by the expressions on the animals (though how he saw them as they did he couldn't fathom, and would always remain a mystery.) He could understand them in a way no other human would ever be able to do, and it didn't need to include words.

They traveled along the tunnel as the sloth continued grunting in an almost hyper way. Roshan, with his son held tight in his arms, gurgling happily in response.

He did not know how it came to be, but his son had been saved by the daughter of the mammoth who's brought him home. She was bringing his son home, he knew it.

Whenever he looked at the young she-mammoth, though, he couldn't help but think of the blurry image on the wall of a cave in a distant memory, of a small, tiny mammoth made of paint. The one his hand had traced over curiously, as if it were really there.

He smiled gently, placing a hand on the mammoth's head fur gently, so it went unnoticed as they continued down the cave .

_I'm happy for you, old friend..._

Sid wouldn't stop chattering away as they walked up the tunnel, the area becoming lighter with every corner they turned. Diego glanced up a Pinky, or whatever his name may be now, and his eyes caught the attention of the baby in his arms.

The smaller human covered his eyes and removed them, pretending to growl ferociously. Diego chuckled. Old times...

"Heard ya scared his dad with that game." Shira remarked from beside him. Diego smiled a little, lost in an old memory.

"Yeah. But he's not forgotten it, that's for sure."

"Hmm..." Shira looked up at the two humans. Weird creatures...and their hands almost resembling an ape's, oddly enough. The adult human finally seemed to notice her properly and smiled at her, eyes shifting between her and Diego. It wasn't a silly, teasing smile, but a glad, congratulating smile. She was thankful for that.

Diego shrugged a little seeing this look. "Yeah well, you're not the only one, pal."

Ellie, who was walking beside Manny, regarded Pinky and Shorty curiously. She lifted her trunk and prodded the adult human thoughtfully.

"Huh. You sure turned out good, kid. Then again, it was Manny that got you back home, him and the others. To think, you're the one that brought us all together."

She knew Pinky couldn't understand her fully, but he was smiling at her kindly.

"I bet his heard's wondering where he's went off to this time..." Manny muttered to himself with a roll of his eyes, though he was very happy to see the human again.

Crash and Eddie hopped from Ellie's tusk onto Manny's, chattering excitedly.

"Yeah, they'll be like, dude, where did you go this time?"

"Yea, yeah, and then he'll be like, Dude, with the sloth, mammoth and saber again!"

"Uh, huh, and they'll be like, dude, this really needs to stop."

Manny was beyond annoyed now and flicked them off his trunk, careful not to know the humans on his back off balance.

"Or maybe they'll spear you and do me a big favor."

"Manny..." Ellie scolded quietly.

* * *

Not too far away, Scratt was hanging off the root dismally, muttering unintelligibly to himself. After a while, he looked over at the entrance of the cave across from him, now leading in from a sheer drop. Any creature walking in from that direction would plummet to their deaths if they weren't careful. If he got the ledge opposite, maybe he could find a way to get his nut...

Thinking quickly (perhaps too quickly for his own good) he began swing back and forth on the root. It strained under the added weight, and just as Scratt gave a final, hard kick of his legs and swung over the gap like a bird (before promptly slamming into the wall and slipping down, grabbing onto the ledge as he fell) a loud cracking noise echoed through the cave.

He froze, looking over his shoulder as a crack traveled from the one the root was embedded in along the roof of the rocky cavern. _Not again..._

* * *

The ground beneath the mammals jolted so abruptly that Pinky almost fell from Manny's back, clutching Shorty to his chest in fright. Peaches quickly caught with her trunk, easing him back up onto Manny's back with a sigh of relief. Shorty babbled happily in response.

Louis looked around frantically before spotting a crack traveling up the way they came.

"Quick,_ run_!"

"Works for me!" Manny remarked quickly, and they began rushing down the tunnel at a high-speed. Sid, with Granny balanced on his shoulders, began screaming hysterical, something Shorty found very funny.

"Look out!" Crash screamed, leaping into his brother's arms as he pointed up at the roof of the tunnel. The rest of the herd soon learned what he was talking about:

The crack had traveled over their heads like a hawk (something less scary to the possums now that they thought about it, at least in this situation) and along the tunnel.

Suddenly and jolt in the ground send the smaller mammals stumbling off balance as the tunnel behind them caved in, becoming completely filled with ruble.

Ahead, rocks and fragments of the roof where beginning to fall. Manny realized with horror that, if the front caved in, there was no way out- they'd be trapped in the small space.

"Hurry!" He called out to the others, rushing forward. But it was too late.

The roof caved in ahead of them, sending them plunging into complete darkness. Pinky held tight to Shorty as he began to cry in distress, Sid flopping onto the ground after fainting.

It was pitch black...they couldn't see anything.

"Is everyone okay? Ellie, Peaches?"

"We're okay, Dad...Crash, Eddie, what are you doing?"

Panic was just setting in when Manny heard the possums muttering quietly, shuffling about. Then, the unmistakable sound of a rock striking another filled his ears, and the herd stared in wonder and disbelief as the area lit up, revealing two very smug, grinning possums holding a pair of fire-tinted sticks in their arms.

"Are we good or what?" Crash inquired, looking far too pleased with himself and his brother.

"That's some nice torches them possums got." Granny remarked to herself plainly.

* * *

Granny just doesn't care about cave-ins, does she?

Please review...


	17. Chapter 17

I am on such a role right now, I'm rolling about he place more than Argeth does. (If you have no idea who that is, read my other fic 'Pirates and Survivors' for Ice Age.

* * *

Chapter 17: Possum intuition.

The pair of posed possums stood in a rigid, solder mimicking posture, eyes screwed up and torches held high on either side of the cave, lighting the way dramatically so the others could move the rocks blocking their way. They were making good progress- most of the larger rocks had been rolled away by Manny and Ellie, Diego and Shira working on the other side of the cave. They let Sid believe that he was making a contribution by carrying little pebbles across the cave.

Granny sat down back beside Pinky and Shorty, who were both waiting patiently while watching the possums curiously. Since Pinky's leg was in no shape to stand on, he couldn't help. So instead he began playing 'where's the baby' with his son.

"Manny..."

Diego looked uneasy as he drew the stones away, something Shira had noticed while they where digging. She paid close attention to the conversation to find out why.

"Yeah?" Manny grunted while reaching up to remove a particularly stubborn rock. Diego glanced at the possums nearby.

"Correct me if I'm wrong." He said, eyes narrowed as if to get a better look at them "The possums are holding fire."

Manny did not look pleased; Not even remotely. "Yeah."

"Within a few meters of us." Diego continued quickly, glancing at the brothers on either side of the tunnel. Manny's frowned creased.

"Yeah."

"Aaaand...we're not bothered by this?" He rose a brow, glancing around all of the other parties present. Manny scowled deepened; that is, if that was possible it would.

"I'm keeping an eye on them. Just as long as they stay still, we'll all be fine."

Diego couldn't help but think that Manny was trying to convince himself as well as him.

"And if they do move?"

Manny dumped the rock to the side unceremoniously, replied bluntly.

"Then...we're doomed."

* * *

The men had to flee from the tunnels once the caves began crumbling again. They couldn't go any further, and had to leave before they were all crushed.

And so they returned to the village with heavy hearts and bent heads, all dreading the look they'd see on the other members of the tribe's faces. Especially Nida's.

They couldn't prolong it, however. They reached the camp where Nida stood, red-eyed and nervous. When she saw that Roshan nor their son was with them, and the sorrowful expressions on their faces, she fell to her knees, head bent and her dark hair covering her eyes. Grief swarmed over her head like a cloud.

There was nothing they could do.

* * *

Now that the tunnel was halfway unblocked and light was streaming in, the possums felt no need to stand still any longer to keep the light still.

Now, the miscreants were darting about, sword-fighting with their still lit torches, bu to herd's horror when they realized this.

"You two, put those down!" Manny ordered, heaving a large rock out of the way while trying to avoid contact with the possums running past.

"Guys, stop that, you're gonna burn someone!" Ellie ordered sharply, and the possums halted as if they'd been freeze-framed. Their sister gave them one last warning look before rejoining her daughter in moving the rocks. With no one looking at them, the possums dropped them, they glanced at each other, both a pair of grins and an idea forming as their sister's words echoed throw their heads.

They both stared over at Sid, who was seated on all floors, gathering some pebbles into a neat pile, tail in the air.

The possums glanced back and forth between the tail and heir torches, eyes widening and grins spreading.

"Wonder why the possums are so quiet all of a sudden." Diego muttered to Manny, their backs to said brothers as they cleared away more rocks. Manny frowned.

"Huh. Odd..."

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH! HOT! HOT! HOT!"

They jumped, looking over their shoulders to find Sid running around the tunnel madly, tail on fire. The possums were dying with laughter, literally rolling about the floor. Sid jumped into the air, running past his friends and hurtling himself blindly though a small gab between the rocks, landing on the other side.

"OUCH, OUCH, AAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!"

With a un-amused look, Diego looked through and saw the sloth rolling frantically on the ground, extinguishing the flames at last, panting.

Manny, furious beyond all reason, turned to the possums and snatched them up in his trunk as Pinky watched with his jaw dropped, probably thinking of the last time Sid became 'Lord of the Flame' as Shorty clapped his hands in entertainment.

"What did we just tell you?!" Manny demanded, giving the possums a good shake. Ellie came up beside him, looking just as angry as her husband.

"Honestly guys? I told you!"

The possums couldn't stop laughing, though. Eddie managed to raise a paw to get his sister's attention, chortling:

"S-sorry, sis...we can't h-help it!" He broke off into another bought of laughter, much to Manny's annoyance. Crash added on, gasping with laughter.

"It's the possum intuition!"

Manny dropped them. "It's the idiot intuition." He corrected sourly as Sid moaned loudly on the other side.

"Ow...my tail..."

Granny rolled her eyes, leaning on her cane. "Stop moaning for once in your life, Sidney. I keep tellin' you. I got burned in worse places than you, and I didn't scream as much."

Manny sighed. Well, at least the fire was out now...

* * *

Please review, people.


	18. Chapter 18

Nostalgiaaaaaaaaaaaa...

Please review!

* * *

Chapter 18: Like Back in Glacier Pass.

"Who's the cutest? you are!"

Peaches cooed adoring at Shorty, tickling him under the chin as Louis carried him along. He squealed with laughter, waving his arms about only to wrap them around the molehog happily, snuggling against him as they wandered up the tunnel. It had taken a while to clear it, but now they were on the trail again. Shorty's Dad was watching them with a small smile from her own Dad's back. She wondered if Sid had been like this with him...

Louis patted Shorty on the head gently, a lot more at ease with him than before. "It's hard to think you might try to hit me with a spear one day..." Shorty babbled unintelligibly in response, smile still in place.

"Aga boo!"

Louis laughed. "Then again, Pinky didn't..."

Peaches laughed, giving Louis a playful rub on the head. "Aw, don't worry. He'll always remember us, won't you, Shorty?"

Shorty was yawning now, but still babbled in response. Peaches took that as a good enough answer and returned him gently to Pinky's arms, where Shorty fell asleep instantly.

Peaches watched him with a kind smile. _He's so cute..._

* * *

Roshan held his son tight as he slept, while they both rode along on the mammoth's back. After the tunnel had finally been cleared, (and the fires those very odd possums lit was out) they'd resumed their journey through the tunnel that slope upwards.

He looked up at the light escaping from the cracks, and a light, feathery hope fluttered in his chest. He was going home; Him and his son, were Nida was waiting...

Nida. Roshan sighed quietly to himself. She'd be so worried...she probably thought she'd lost them both now. He decided that he'd get back quickly, and make sure something like this never happened again.

* * *

Manny noticed the tunnel becoming lighter with ever few steps. "We must be getting close now..." He muttered to himself. Diego frowned, nodding in agreement.

Louis and Peaches were a little bit ahead of them despite Manny's warning not to wander too far. Peaches looked over at Louis, repeating what she'd said before.

"I'll miss him, you know." She remarked. Louis bobbed his head, agreeing.

"Yeah..." His read rose, and abruptly he gasped, jumping in the air and pointing.

"Oh gosh, oh gosh...I...I can feel wind!" Peaches' eyes shot wide at this and she stood still; Slightly, ever so slightly, she could feel a cool breeze on her feet.

"Oh...my..gosh, Louis! You're right!"

Ellie appeared to have heard their voices raise, as she hurried up beside them a moment later. "What is it?"

"Wind! we're almost out!" her daughter exclaimed. Sid whooped in joy behind them, Pinky raising his head at their tones and quickened behaviour. Sid decided to try to elaborate.

"We're almost outa here, buddy! you're almost home!"

Diego rolled his eyes as he hurried past to join Manny "Sid, we've been through the whole _humans don't talk_ thing already. Save whatever you call energy and hurry up!"

Shira rolled her eyes and followed, laughing a little at Sid's hilarious try at an indignant pose.

They hurried along the tunnel, hearts rising in their chest as they spotted something they thought they'd never see again; an exit to the caves.

The wind was clear and refreshing after being trapped in the caves for so long, and for a moment they allowed themselves to take deep, relaxed breaths.

It was small and the dirt was bare, but it was an exit all the same. The sun was just setting, and as the mammals herded out from the shadows, the saber, sloth and mammoth noted that the soft pink sky was the same shade it had been many years ago, the morning before they met.

Manny and Diego shared knowing looks as Sid wiped a tear away from his eyes, spreading his arms wide up to the sky.

"Fresh air! freedom! We're gonna live!"

Granny promptly shoved him back with a prod in the stomach, courtesy of her cane and her irrigated mood.

"Ya won't be living long if ya keep annoying me, Sidney. Now, we're Precious?"

Ellie embraced Manny happily, feeling more relieved than she'd been in a month (the last time had been after the continental drift involving some deranged pirates)

"Well there's another adventure we can add to the family tales." She remarked with a smile. Manny sighed, looking exhausted.

"Please, let's make it our last..."

_"Precioooous!"_

* * *

Roshan sighed heavily, allowing a relaxed smile to spread across his lips. His son had awakened now, and was looking around the familiar place, gurgling in recognition. Rohsan knew luck had defiantly been on their side during this day, as they'd come out of the caves right where'd he started and right were his son had wondered in from.

He looked up into the sky and noticed smoke rising from up the hill. The mammoth's daughter seemed to catch his gaze, eyeing it as well. She then gestured at it with her trunk.

"Look, that must be their herd!" Peaches told the others. Manny followed her gaze and spotted the smoke as well.

Maybe not all of them should approach... especially the tigers. "Okay...I'll take Pinky and Shorty back up. You guys stay here...it could be dangerous."

Sid's mouth dropped open in wide-eyed dismay. "Hey...I wanna say goodbye, too!"

Manny sighed. "Okay, you say goodbye." He reached up and gently lifted Pinky from his back, his own baby held in his arms. He seemed to understand that the time to say goodbye was nearing, for he allowed Peaches to reach out and take Shorty, eyes teary.

"Aw, Shorty..."

As Pinky turned around to face Manny and Diego, Sid darted forward, about to hug him in his wierd motherly fashion when a chorus of shouts erupted from behind him.

the herd turned and saw that a group of men were rushing towards them, spears high and brandished, blades glinting in the early morning sun.

Manny quickly shouted to Ellie, with Crash and Eddie clinging to her tusks, "Get Peaches to safety! go!"

Shira looked about to pounce, but Diego quickly stopped her. "Not now, C'mon!"

He moved away into the trees surrounding the outside of the cave. If the humans saw sabers hanging around they definitely wouldn't be too civil. Shira was still angrily confused at this retreat (she'd never been the one to back off from a fight) but followed anyway.

Peaches stood her ground near Manny and Sid, Louis trembling at her side, Shorty clutched in her trunk. Pinky's eyes had widened in horror the whole time, and he seemed to be wondering what to do when Manny noticed his daughter was still in sight.

"Peaches, you have yo get out of here!" He exclaimed. But too was too late.

The humans were only a few feet away. Then, in a mirror of what had happened years ago, when the ice had covered the ground, when the cold morning before had awakened a saber, a baby, a sloth and a mammoth on an unlikely quest, when all hope seemed lost only to have been regained in the last second...

Pinky ran out, disregarding his leg, strong, wide arms out. The humans came to a halt, their warrior cries fading away in disbelief as their leader turned around and smiled up at the Mammoth behind him.

Just like in Glacier Pass, just as his father had looked up at him.

* * *

Almost done, folks. Maybe two more chapters.

Please review.


	19. Chapter 19

Please review! Title is based on the soundtrack song from ICE AGE 1.

* * *

Chapter 19: Giving Back Baby.

Peaches slowly lowered Shorty to the ground, the baby cooing happily as his feet touched the earth. She used her trunk to support him as he wobbled, before allowing him to stand on his own. The group of men stared in wonder as Pinky bent down, holding his arms out for Shorty to come nearer.

Gurgling, arms spread wide, Shorty toddled towards him and into hims arms. Pinky lifted him up, holding him gently as he turned to face his men, who gathered around, still gazing in complete wonder and relief.

Both of them were back safe after all. Against all odds, against all of those cave-ins and lost hopes, they were both back, alive and well.

Sid wandered up beside Manny quietly, looking up at his friend with a heartwarming smile. Manny's face was still, but the look in his eyes matched his own.

The men began turning, some helping Pinky by placing his arm around his shoulders to help him with his leg. Shorty was still held in his arm, and as they turned away, he began whimpering, reaching out for Louis and Peaches.

Pinky turned back again, lifting a hand up to his men to get them to wait. Then, he carefully placed Shorty back on the ground.

He warbled happily, waddling back towards the molehog and mammoth. Louis reached out, lifting him up and rocking him gently.

"Bye, Shorty. Remember us, okay?" He said, voice cracking. Shorty patted his cheek kindly as Peaches reached over, taking him into her trunk so he was facing her.

"We'll always remember you, little guy." She then hugged him close, Shorty snuggling against her head happily, still gurgling. Peaches couldn't stop the tears falling, but slowly lifted Shorty away and handed him back to Pinky.

Pinky, as his men retreated back a little, reached out a hand towards her. Peaches tapped his hand gently with her trunk; Their best sign of gratitude and thanks.

Then, Pinky turned back to Manny and Sid.

"You didn't forget 'bout us." He mumbled. Manny reached out, and like he had done with Peaches, Pinky reached out and placed his hand against his trunk, smiling gently.

"And we didn't forget about you."

Pinky's smile widened, and Manny thought for a moment that even though he couldn't understand their words, he knew what their looks meant.

Pinky nodded once, slowly, before he turned around, slowly moving away back towards his camp over the hill. Shorty looked over his shoulder, playing 'where's the baby' with Peaches and Louis one last time.

Louis covered his eyes and lifted them away again, smiling happily as Sid murmured happily.

"That's right...we'res the baby..."

Peaches waved her trunk gently, sniffing a little. Shorty smiled, waving his hands. Then, the baby spotted something behind them and began babbling loudly.

Pinky stopped and turned, looking back at them before noticing what had caught his son's attention. Diego had slowly wandered over behind Sid and Manny, holding back away from the other men (who were now traveling back towards the camp ahead of Pinky) and was now staring at him a he left.

Pinky grinned, lifting one hand up to his eyes, and uncovering them again for the last time. Diego smiled and lifted his paw, doing the same before waving his claws gently in a silent good-bye.

Then, Pinky was moving away again, glancing over his shoulder at them once more before he and his son were gone, over the hill.

* * *

Roshan's father, running a hand through his graying hair, stared in wonder and amazement as his son appeared over the hill, carrying his grandson in his arms. The men sent to find him again were cheering about his return, alerting the camp of a familiar incident involving a mammoth and a sloth.

Nida came sprinting out of her tent, hair flying as she ran towards his husband and child, flinging her arms around the, bursting into tears.

She hugged her son close, having taken him from Roshan's arms after their hug broke apart. Then, Roshan placed his arms around both of them as they sank to their knees in exhausted relief and happiness.

He was not a young man, but Runar was nowhere near too old to run over and see them. The young father kneeling beneath him stood, smiling gently as he held his arms out.

Runar couldn't believe this had happened again and he gave his boy a good hug, before pulling away and holding his shoulders. He gave him a nod, which Roshan returned.

"It was them, Father." He said softly, glancing over the hill. Runar nodded again, quietly.

"So it would seem your guardian spirits returned for you. Fate is odd, is it not?"

Roshan still stared at the hill, lost in a absent thought. "Yes...it is."

As Roshan wandered away with his wife and child, Runar left the camp unnoticed by the cheerful, celebrating men and women.

He walked over the hill, making sure to take his staff with him. He reached the two familiar animals by the cave entrance, and it appeared they had more members this time.

The mammoth froze upon seeing him, before turning towards him slowly. There appeared to be a pair of sabers hanging back, something he noted with caution.

He smiled kindly up at the mammoth, noticing how a female and youngster of the same species were standing nearby. A family of his own... a good-hearted creature.

That is why he was going to help them return to their home, for they did not belong nearby their settlement.

Runar slowly waved an arm, gesturing them to follow. The mammoth seemed to hesitate before following.

Runar had navigated the caves himself some time ago, and had found one of them led to the other side of the mountain; the other side of the long ridge separating the land. He'd also discovered that the mountain path, though very long, went the same way as it did.

They'd sent some men down it to see if Roshan had exited the other side, only to find it had collapsed from inside, too. They'd returned soon after.

It was this trail that Runar showed the mammoth after a small while of walking, the rest of the strange herd following behind, looking wary of him.

When the mammoth looked up the long path that went up the ridge-like mountain, his eyes widened. Then, he looked down at him. Runar would've sworn he'd seen understanding flash in those eyes again.

Giving them a smile of thanks, Runar turned and began traveling back the way he came.

Once he was quite far away, he turned and raised an arm, signally his goodbye. All three mammoths lifted theri trunks into the air. Runar smiled at this and continued on back towards the camp, vanishing from their sight for good.

* * *

Manny glanced up the trail. "Well, looks like this is our way home. Sid, you'll have to carry your Granny."

Sid grimaced as Granny hopped onto his shoulders, still calling wildly for her whale pet.

Peaches was still looking back the way the older human had gone. Louis noticed this as the rest of the herd began up the trail.

"You okay?" He asked. Peaches sighed and nodded quickly.

"Yeah. I'll miss the little guy...but at least he'd home now."

Peaches smiled at that comforting thought, turning around to begin up the trail when she stood on something soft and squishy.

Something grey that made a squeaky 'do-ee' sound as she lifted her foot. There, flattened on the floor in the mammoth's foot-print was that saber squirrel they'd asked directions from before. She rose a brow as her Dad came into view, scowling down at him.

"You're an embarrassment to nature. Did ya know that?"

* * *

Last chapter coming up next, people. Please review!


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20: The end.

Scratt didn't know why, but the female mammoth, the elder one, decided that he should stay with them.

Her husband groaned loudly at this request, but one Peaches, who he'd found to be the teenage mammoth who's unintentionally flattened him, had scrapped him off the ground, her mother had noticed he was the same saber-squirrel who'd given them directions.

"Hey, maybe he could come with us!"

Diego and Shira exchanged bemused looks at this as the possums jumped on either side of the grey squirrel staring at him dumbly.

"He's scruffy!"

"He's gotta nut!"

Sid kept staring at him, tapping his chin. "I...could have sworn I'd seen him ages ago..."

Manny rolled his eyes. "We saw him in the caves, Sid. It wasn't that long ago."

Scratt scratched his head thoughtfully, pondering what 'Sid' the sloth had said. Wait a minute...

He started jumping up and down, rambling on incoherently He then mimed packing his nut onto his back, pacing aroudn the place. Sid's bulging eyes widened.

"Oh my gosh!" He exclaimed, waving his arms, looking back and forth between Manny and Diego wildly "He's the guy who gave us the directions to half-peeky place, whatever it was!"

Diego and Manny glanced at each other questionly. Then, something clicked in their memory.

_"Pack of long teeth and...claws..."_

_"A pack of noses?"_

_"A pack of bears?"_

Diego recalled pinging that rodent into the air and sending him cartwheeling down the hill soon after; But he kept this to himself.

"You were that guy from before!" Manny muttered, clearly looking surprised. Peaches rose her eyebrow at the rodent.

"Well, I guess he can come with...I mean, more the merrier?" She looked ver at her father, waiting for the verdict. They ignored Granny's calling for Precious as Manny began considering it.

Scratt stood awkwardly, surrounded by them all and clasping his nut, muttering "Do-ee..." nervously to himself.

Manny couldn't help but feel like he'd seen this rodent...not just in the caves or on their freezing journey with Pinky, but everywhere. Like you did with rocks...or a particular type of plant. Rocks seemed more alike this guy, though, he thought to himself.

Well, Ellie was giving him a firm yet happy look, and Peaches looked grateful for his help...

"Alright, fine. But he better not cause trouble!" He eyed the saber-tooth squirrel as he said this. He nodded up and down.

"Okay, then. Let's get going, I'm tired and I would liek to go to sleep for once."

Granny hopped onto Sid's shoulders as they continued up the mountain path.

"Alright, Sidney, Moosh!"

Sid began trotting forward quickly so he didn't anger his grandmother. Scratt held back in confusion, hesitant.

He'd never been in a herd before. He hadn't done much but travel around and trying to find a way to keep his nut save. Not to mention this herd was very wierd...

But...it didn't sound like a bad idea ss long as he didn't get stepped on too much.

Diego turned and looked at him over his shoulder, frowning.

"You coming or what?"

Scratt scurried after them, finally making up his mind. The possums exchanged gleeful, mischievous looks. A new person to annoy was a novelty for them, after all.

The herd moved up the mountain trail as the day passed. Not much was said other than Manny scolding Peaches again, Shira teasing Diego again about being soft, but other than that there was a silence, especially from Manny, Sid and Diego.

It had seemed like yesterday, really. When the three of them had met, all surrounding that kid who was now all grown up. Time sure flies...

They reached the top of the mountain trail, finding a trench cutting through the ridge-like mountain. Following the path they saw that below was the familiar part of the island they lived in, the caves (now probably collapsed) were visible not far away.

As they continued down the trail, A certain sloth sniffed.

"Do ya think we'll ever see him again?" Sid asked sadly as they went. Manny wasn't so sure.

"I don't know, Sid. But at least he'll remember us like he did before."

"Yeah." Diego added quietly. "I don't think his family will every forget the crazy stuff that's happened..."

* * *

Far away, just outside the human camp was a single, wide cave sitting under a waterfall. It was almost hidden to all eyes, that is, unless you knew where to find it.

If you did, you would find a new, colourful drawing painted on its wall, colours flaming like the sunset. The figures were of a mammoth, a sloth and a tiger, an infant held in the trunk of the largest mammal. They were sat around a fire, surrounded by a blizzard of snow. The second was of a man touching the trunk of the mammoth, holding his son in his arms.

Another painting was of a smaller mammoth and a molehog traveling through a long, winding tunnel, the tunnel winding around the largest picture like a ribbon or ivy.

The largest picture was the clearest and the most colorful. It showed the image of two mammoths, a dark male and a lighter female, their trunks held tight in a loving embrace as their baby danced around them happily from nearby.

THE END.


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